For only the second time in school history and the first time in nine years, the Texas Southern University Department of Athletics claimed the 2023-24 Southwestern Athletic Conference C.D. Henry Award.
The award, which is presented to the top men’s program in the SWAC, returns to 3100 Cleburne Street for the first time since the 2014-15 season. This also marked the second time TSU has been presented with the award since its inception in 1969. TSU finished with 67.5 total points with three SWAC Championships.
What makes this award so special for TSU is the fact that the department fields seven of eight men’s sports sponsored by the SWAC. Without the eighth sport sponsored (tennis), the program has little margin for error as TSU does not receive points towards the final standings.
TSU started the academic year strong with a cross country championship and followed it up with titles in indoor and outdoor track & field. The TSU baseball team finished first in the SWAC West while the men’s basketball team finished third in the regular season while advancing to the finals of the SWAC Basketball Tournament. The road to the title came down to the end of the season as the TSU baseball team clinched the award with a win in last week’s SWAC Tournament.
An excited TSU Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Kevin Granger said the award belongs to the TSU community as everyone associated with TSU Athletics had a hand in the success of the programs.
“This award belongs to the TSU community as it took a collective effort from everyone throughout the university,” he said. “I want to thank our Board of Regents, the President’s office and administration, faculty and staff, coaches, student-athletes, sponsors, alumni and athletic booster club organizations, and season ticket holders.
“This is only the second time in university history that we have won the award, and it means the world to us for our men to go out and perform the way they did. To finish number one in the conference says a lot about where we are and where we are headed at TSU. We want to continue that trend and become number one in everything that we do. This award is a momentum shift for the department as we are thankful to everyone from our administrators, alumni, and supporters who have interacted with our student-athletes this season on a day-to-day basis.”
Dr. Granger will formally accept the award at the SWAC’s annual Spring Meetings on June 17.
C.D. Henry Award
1. Texas Southern – 67.5
T-2. Jackson State – 62.5
T-2. Prairie View A&M – 62.5
4. Alabama State – 62.0
5. Southern – 54.0
6. Arkansas-Pine Bluff – 50.5
7. Florida A&M – 48.5
8. Grambling State – 47.0
9. Alcorn State – 46.5
10. Alabama A&M – 39.5
11. Bethune-Cookman – 35.5
12. Mississippi Valley State – 17.0
About the C.D. Henry Award
The Henry Award is presented to the top men’s athletic program in the SWAC. The award is named for C.D. Henry, former Grambling State chairman of the College of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Department from 1958-74, as well as serving as the executive officer and secretary-statistician for the SWAC in 1968-73.
Henry became the first African American assistant commissioner of any conference office when he joined the Big Ten Conference in June of 1974.
Courtesy: TSUSports.com