ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. - The NC Wesleyan College athletic department has named men's basketball senior Mitch Layton as the Male Student-Athlete of the Year for 2019-20.
This is Layton's second straight athletic department honor having won the Jim Sabiston Courage Award last season, the highest award given in athletics at NCWC.
Athletically, Layton started 25 of 26 games for the Bishops this season at forward/center and averaged over 6 points and 6 rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent from the field. He helped to lead the Bishops to a 13-13 record overall and a 9-8 record in conference play. He also recorded a career-best 20 rebounds in the win over D'Youville (NY) back in December.
However, Layton's true success came in the classroom and the community. As a Pre-Med major with a minor in Psychology, Layton not only had a 4.0 GPA last semester but has a 3.98 cumulative GPA currently and is ranked #1 in his graduating class. Layton is a 4x USA South All-Academic Team member and a NABC Honors Court member in 2019 and 2020. He has been the College's Intern of the Year, made the President's List 8 times including this semester, and has been selected as a graduation marshall.
Layton's head coach, John Thompson, has described Mitch as not only having great character but "as close to perfect as anyone I have ever been associated with. He has been a tremendous leader with our basketball team while serving as team captain."
"Mitch has proven to be the most excellent teammate, the most coachable, most driven and focused of student-athletes," Thompson continued. "He is determined and dedicated, diligent and highly motivated. He is intelligent, and an incredibly willing learner. Mitch has displayed a level of discipline and work ethic matched only by a rare few, and exemplifies everything we should want in a Wesleyan student-athlete: academic achievement, excellence in character, leadership, service to the community, and an extremely valuable member to the team."
Layton has also been a leader serving with other numerous student activity groups including SAAC, WAAL, and National Society of Leadership and Success. Thompson has also added all of the community service work that Mitch has completed throughout his career by fillng virtually every minute of his day with with this type of work while, in addition, he is also a trained EMT. Layton was the VP of the NSLS, a peer tutor, a supplemental instructor, an FCA and Science Club member, was on the homecoming court, was a Pop Warner volunteer, a tutor at churches and at the Boys and Girls Club in Edgecombe, and a volunteer at ministries and churches around the area.
Below photo courtesy of Carl Lewis:
