At the end of every year the coaches and administrators of the Eastern New Mexico University Athletic Department come together to select the Greatest Greyhounds. Following one of the most successful years in recent memory, the department chose Lauren Frye (volleyball) and Kamal Cass (football) for the highest yearly honor the department bestows.
The duo reached the pinnacle of Greyhound Athletics in a season, which saw great achievement. The football, volleyball, and women’s basketball teams reached the postseason, while a member of the rodeo squad won a national crown. The baseball team had a historic season, while a cross country runner won the region and track & field experienced its highest level of national success during the NCAA era. The men’s basketball team took the season down to the final buzzer, the softball team won 20 games, while both soccer teams showed improvement. It was an exciting year for the Greyhounds.
“I am told that the competition for this prestigious award was much more competitive this year than in recent memory,” ENMU Athletic Director said. “All of the nominees were strong and represent ENMU Athletics in outstanding fashion. The two student-athletes that rose to the top of this selection are outstanding selections and they make all of us in Greyhound Nation proud. Their achievements represent all of what we expect in ENMU Athletics and they also make us better.”
With her selection, Frye became the second two-time winner of the award and the first to accomplish that feat in nearly a decade. Samantha Lawrence claimed the honor in 2008 and 2009. Prior to garnering a pair of All-America honors, Frye was chosen First Team All-Lone Star Conference for the second straight season, and has made all-conference all four years. The 2016 LSC Offensive Player of the Year put up 341 kills in league play, hitting .331 with seven solo blocks and 29 total blocks. Frye was named five-time LSC Offensive Player of the Week and became the first player in ENMU history to record over 1,700 kills in her career, breaking the program record in her final game. Her performance led the Hounds to their first winning season since 2004, while her 24-kill effort sparked ENMU in a thrilling five-set win over Angelo State, which marked the program’s first-ever win over a top-ten team.
Kamal Cass is the third straight member of the football team to garner the Greatest Greyhound Award. Last season, it was won by Jeremy Buurma, and Seth Bailey from the football and basketball teams in 2014-15. Cass was ENMU’s first American Football Coaches Association All-American since 2004 and was named the LSC Offensive Back of the Year. As a junior, he paced the nation’s second leading rushing attack with a LSC-high 1,191 yards along with 14 touchdowns. Cass found the end zone in nine of his 11 games, with multiple scores in five games. He rushed for 159 yards and two scores in the Greyhounds’ victory at 12th-ranked Midwestern State and had a career-high 232 yards against Western New Mexico. The junior running back also returned six kickoffs for 86 yards.
