TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – For the third year in a row, Stillman College earned HBCU Makeda Excellence Awards presented by the Rice Fame Group honors as three Tigers earned the distinct awards.
Lauren Haskins,
Christopher Johnson, and
Joel Penfield were named to the 2024-2025 honors list.
The awards highlight the achievements of top HBCU athletes, coaches, bands and band directors for the 2024-25 season.
Haskins, an NAIA First Team All-American is receiving the honor for the third time. She was also named the HBCU Athletic Conference Player of the Year. She hit .513 with 81 total hits, eight triples, eight home runs and three doubles in 158 plate appearances. She had 46 RBI. She slugged .785 with a .563 on-base percentage. Not only did Haskins show her skill with her bat, she impressed coaches across the nation with her speed on the base paths, stealing 52 of 52 attempts and scoring 64 runs.
Johnson, the 2025 HBCUAC Athlete of the Year, receives the award for the first time. He set the tone for his season from the very first meet of the year, as he broke the meet record at the UWA Invitational, broke his personal discus record, and qualified for the NAIA Nationals all at once. He went on to break the Stillman school record a week later, coming away with a new season-best mark of 54.78 meters (179' 9") at the Falcon Classic Multi, a mark that would stand as top-three in the nation for the duration of the season.
Penfield, the HBCUAC Softball Coach of the Year, is also receiving the honor for the third time after guiding Stillman to a 33-13 record overall and a 15-0 record against HBCU Athletic Conference competition. The Tigers captured the regular season championship in the HBCUAC and finished 3-0 in the HBCUAC Softball Tournament to earn a postseason berth in the NAIA Softball National Championship. Last season marked the conclusion of three consecutive 30-win seasons for the program for a combined 106 wins in three seasons, which included Stillman setting a program record 37 wins in the 2024 season.
Haskins and Penfield have helped Stillman sweep the softball honors the last three years, the only school to do so in a sport through the HBCU Makeda Excellence Award. Only one other individual has been honored three consecutive years.
Each nominee was submitted by their respective four-year HBCU athletic department. Ballots were distributed to all four-year HBCU departments, and the winners were chosen by the collective votes of peer head coaches for each sport. This rigorous selection process ensures that those recognized are truly distinguished by the respect and admiration of their peers.
