PRESS RELEASE
JUNE 13, 2023
SJR State announces student athletes of year
St. Johns River State College baseball catcher Jack Slater and softball infielder Kendall Catherwood were recently announced as the College’s 2023 Student Athletes of the Year.
Slater is a graduate of Hillsborough High School. He completed his Associate in Arts degree from SJR State in one year while maintaining a 4.0 GPA and is currently enrolled in the College’s bachelor’s program in organizational management. He was named the John C. Tindall Scholarship winner in 2023 and is a finalist for the FCSAA’s Bill Tuten Award as the top male scholar athlete in the state.
Slater is a two-time NJCAA 1ST Team Academic All-American and was named 2nd Team All-Sun Lakes Conference. He hit .286 with an on-base percentage of .406, had 36 RBI’s and scored 41 runs. As a sophomore, Slater was the starting catcher on the first World Series team in college history.
According to head baseball coach Ross Jones, Slater’s leadership on and off the field was instrumental in the success of the team. “He was the steady hand that kept the family together,” Jones said. “Jack’s character and work ethic is nothing short of elite. The same effort day in and day out. I always knew what I would get out of Jack.”
According to softball coach Joe Pound, Catherwood exemplifies everything the College wants in a student-athlete.
Catherwood led the softball team in batting average, hits, and triples, and was a perfect 30 for 30 on stolen bases, while only striking out 7 times in 221 plate appearances. She was named to the All-Sun-Lakes Conference and D2 All-FCSAA/All-NJCAA Region 8 Teams and was selected to the D2 FCSAA All-Tournament Team.
She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Creekside High School in St. Johns, FL, and graduated with her Associate in Arts degree from SJR State after her freshman year with a 4.0 GPA. She will begin SJR State’s bachelor’s degree program in organizational management this fall.
Pound said Catherwood’s character, discipline and work ethic lead to her success in the classroom and on the field. “It’s an honor to have her as part of our program and I look forward to having her here for another year,” he said.
SJR State athletics are based on the Palatka campus and include women’s volleyball and beach volleyball, women’s fastpitch softball and men’s baseball. For more information, visit SJRstate.edu.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Michelle Sjogren
Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Strategic Communications
(904) 276-6814
Susan Kessler
Director of Public Relations and Marketing
(386) 312-4021