Guilford College honored its top student-athletes Sunday night at a year-end reception in Dana Auditorium. Five award winners nominated and selected by the school’s athletic department were recognized at the ceremony, which featured remarks from University of North Carolina Assistant Football Coach Ken Browning ’67. Two-sport standout Caleb Kimbrough (Carrboro, N.C./Chapel Hill) won the Quaker Club Ideal Student-Athlete Award, the Richard Joyce Sportsmanship Award and the men’s basketball team’s Coaches Award. A three-year starting guard on the basketball team, the junior ranked fourth on the team in scoring (6.7 ppg.) and first in assists (3.2 apg.). He was seventh among Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) leaders in assists and eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.29). Kimbrough enters his senior campaign ranked third among Guilford’s Division III career assists leaders, seventh in free-throws and 10th in steals. He was instrumental in helping Guilford (24-5) enjoy its best season in over 30 years and reach the national quarterfinals. Since joining the tennis team in March, Kimbrough has won eight of 10 singles matches and seven of 10 doubles contests. The Quakers won seven of their last nine regular-season matches in their best campaign since 1997. Kimbrough, a two-year tennis letter winner and the 2006 ODAC third-singles champion, is a two-time member of Guilford’s Student-Athlete Honor Roll.

Kimbrough’s basketball teammate, junior Ben Strong (Chapel Hill, N.C./Chapel Hill), received Guilford’s Best Male Athlete Award and the basketball team’s Free Throw Award. Strong was named NCAA Division III Player of the Year by D3hoops.com and Division III Co-Player of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. A 6-11 center, he earned First Team All-ODAC honors for the second time in 2007 and became Guilford’s first men’s basketball ODAC Player of the Year. Also an all-region selection, he captured five ODAC Player of the Week Awards, the most in school history. Strong finished the season with a .797 free-throw percentage, connecting on 181 of 227 shots from the charity stripe. He led the ODAC in scoring (25.4 ppg), rebounding (11.2 rpg) and blocked shots (2.48 bpg). Strong ranked fourth in the nation in scoring, ninth in rebounding and 12th in blocks per game. His 737 points and 25.4 scoring average stand fourth in school history. He recorded 18 double-doubles this year and scored at least 20 points in 19 games, including an NCAA Division III Tournament-record 59 points in the Quakers’ 129-128 triple-overtime win over Lincoln (Pa.) University in the third round of the NCAA playoffs. Strong’s impressive resume helped him earn the coveted Nereus C. English ’26 Athletic Leadership Award, Guilford’s highest honor for athletic ability and leadership.

Senior Jennah Carter (Orlando, Fla. /Oviedo (Flagler)), a three-year starter on the soccer team, received the Best Female Athlete Award. She became Guilford’s first women’s soccer performance All-American with her selection to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Adidas NCAA Division III Second Team squad last fall. Carter is a two-time First Team All-ODAC and First Team NSCAA/Adidas All-South selection. The senior forward was selected to the college division all-state team by the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) for the third straight year. Carter ranks second among Guilford’s career points (128) and goals (52) leaders and set the school record with 24 career assists. A three-time ODAC Player of the Week in 2006, she finished second in the league in points (48), third in points per match (2.18) and third in goals per match (0.95). She led the Quakers in points and goals for three straight years. Carter joined Strong as a 2007 English Award recipient.

Guilford’s coaches gave Carter’s teammate, Morgan Jones (South Royalton, Vt. /South Royalton), the George Wynne Most Improved Athlete Award. A defensive specialist, she went from a little-used reserve in her first two seasons to starting 20 games this season. The defender finished the season with a career-best four points on two goals. She helped the Quakers to a 13-6-3 overall mark, 9-1-1 in the ODAC. Guilford reached the ODAC Tournament final for the second straight season before falling to fourth-ranked Virginia Wesleyan, 2-0.