Cellular South Peggie Gillom Trophy to Debut in 2007-2008 Basketball Season
JACKSON, Miss. - (October 10, 2007) – Cellular South, the nation's largest privately held wireless provider, along with the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum, today announced the introduction of the Cellular South Gillom trophy to recognize the best player in Mississippi women's college basketball.
The Cellular South Gillom Trophy – one of the now four awards in the Cellular South Outstanding Player Award Series – is named after Abbeville, Miss., native and women's basketball prodigy Peggie Gillom. Gillom, a 1998 Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame inductee, holds school records at the University of Mississippi in both points scored (2,486) and rebounds (1,271). Currently serving as an associate head coach at her alma mater, she remains the only player in Ole Miss history to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds.
"I am honored to be the namesake of such a desirable award," said Gillom. "It means so much to me that the Gillom Trophy will provide encouragement to all female athletes in the state of Mississippi who continue to excel at the collegiate level."
The first annual Cellular South Gillom Trophy will be presented March 31, 2008, in conjunction with the annually awarded top men's college basketball player award, the Cellular South Howell Trophy. Media representatives throughout Mississippi will determine the finalists for each award and eventual winners of both awards.
"Women's college basketball in Mississippi has a long and rich tradition, and it's only fitting that the award is named after Peggie Gillom," said Hu Meena, president of Cellular South. "The Cellular South Gillom Trophy will, for the first time, recognize a deserving female in our state for her talents, and it is a great addition to our existing Outstanding Player Award Series."
Fans also will have the chance to pick their favorite women's college basketball player during the Cellular South Fans' Choice Award. Once the finalists for the Cellular South Gillom Trophy are announced, fans can text their vote to Cellular South for the top female college basketball player in Mississippi. The winner will be announced during the Cellular South Gillom and Howell Trophy presentation in March.
The Cellular South Gillom Trophy and Cellular South Howell Trophy are part of Cellular South's Outstanding Player Awards, administered by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. The award series also includes the Cellular South Ferris Trophy, honoring Mississippi's best collegiate baseball player of the year, and the Cellular South Conerly Trophy, honoring Mississippi's best collegiate football player - all announced during live broadcasts on MPB throughout the year. For more information on the entire Cellular South Outstanding Player Awards series, please visit cellularsouth.com/csopa.
About Cellular South
Cellular South is the largest privately held wireless provider in the U.S. The company is focused on providing the best service possible through its nationwide wireless voice and data network, award-winning customer care, state-of-the-art wireless devices, and commitment to the communities it serves. Cellular South was recently honored with the 2005 Wireless Week Excellence Award, 2006 Newcomen Award, and a concurrent resolution from the Mississippi Legislature commending the executives and employees of Cellular South for the company's extraordinary efforts in Hurricane Katrina's wake. For more information, visit www.cellularsouth.com.
About Peggy Gillom
Gillom is a former head coach at Texas A&M and assistant coach with the TEAM USA Olympic team (2000). She served as an assistant coach with the WNBA champion Houston Comets and is currently an assistant at Ole Miss and a member of the Selection Committee for the Women’s College Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn. The Gillom Sports Center at Ole Miss is home to the women’s soccer, softball and volleyball teams.
