Reserved for recognizing superior athletic success, the Achievement Award is presented to a former NJCAA student-athlete that has displayed outstanding ability in national, professional, Olympic or international competition while also displaying excellent ethical character. Nominees must be five years removed from his/her last competition in the NJCAA.
NOTE: Prior to 1970 the Achievement Award was not exclusively reserved for former NJCAA student-athletes.
Achievement Award Recipients
| Year | Name | Sport | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Saudia Roundtree | Women's Basketball | Kilgore College (TX) |
| 2022-23 | Dom Dwyer | Men's Soccer | Tyler Junior College (TX) |
| 2021-22 | Andre de Grasse | Track & Field | Coffeyville (Kan.) |
| 2020-21 | Brittney Reese | Women's Basketball / Track & Field | Mississippi Gulf Coast |
| 2019-20 | Jessica McDonald | Women's Soccer | Phoenix (Ariz.) |
| 2014-15 | Novlene Williams-Mills | Track & Field | Essex County (N.J.) |
| 2013-14 | Dustin Penner | Hockey | Dakota-Bottineau (N.D.) |
| Mitch Richmond | Basketball | Moberly Area (Mo.) | |
| April Steiner-Bennett | Track & Field | Paradise Valley (Ariz.) | |
| Melanie Walker | Track & Field | Essex County (N.J.) | |
| 2011-12 | Lacena Golding-Clarke | Track & Field | San Jacinto (Texas) |
| 2010-11 | Nick Markakis | Baseball | Young Harris (Ga.) |
| 2009-10 | Jim Thome | Baseball | Illinois Central |
| 2007-08 | Teresa Sherrill Duncan | Women's Basketball | Roane State (Tenn.) |
| 2006-07 | Tim Hudson | Baseball | Chattahoochee Valley (Ala.) |
| Bernadette Mattox | Women's Basketball | Roane State (Tenn.) | |
| 2003-04 | William Roger Clemens | Baseball | San Jacinto-North (Texas) |
| Andy Eugene Pettitte | Baseball | San Jacinto-North (Texas) | |
| 1997-98 | Calvin Davis | Track & Field | Wallace State (Ala.) |
| 1996-97 | Dionna Harris | Softball | Delaware Technical |
| Calum McNeil | Wrestling | Labette (Kan.) | |
| Turner Max Ward | Baseball | Faulkner State (Ala.) | |
| 1995-96 | Linda Burgess | Women's Basketball | Calhoun State (Ala.) |
| Rheal Cromier | Baseball | Rhode Island | |
| 1994-95 | Dwight Stone | Football | Marion Military (Ala.) |
| 1993-94 | John Booty | Football | Cisco (Texas) |
| 1992-93 | Jeff Huson | Baseball | Glendale (Ariz.) |
| Mackey Sasser | Baseball | Wallace (Ala.) | |
| Gene Sauers | Golf | Central Alabama | |
| 1991-92 | Jerome Walton | Baseball | Enterprise State-Ozark (Ala.) |
| 1990-91 | James Craig | Hockey | Massasoit (Mass.) |
| Harvey B. Hardy | Football | Marion Military (Ala.) | |
| Earl Leggett | Football | Hinds (Miss.) | |
| 1989-90 | Danny Cox | Baseball | Chattahoochee Valley (Ala.) |
| Emmit King | Track & Field | Essex County (N.J.) | |
| Gary Redus | Baseball | Calhoun (Ala.) | |
| 1987-88 | Bill Barrett | Swimming | Indian River (Fla.) |
| 1986-87 | Kirby Puckett | Baseball | Triton (Ill.) |
| 1982-83 | Rita Crockett | Women's Volleyball | San Antonio (Texas) |
| 1978-79 | Tom Henderon | Basketball | San Jacinto (Texas) |
| Clifford Outlin | Track & Field | John C. Calhoun (Ala.) | |
| Frank Urban "Fuzzy" Zoeller | Golf | Edison (Fla.) | |
| 1976-77 | Norm Cash | Baseball | San Angelo (Texas) |
| John Montefusco | Baseball | Brookdale (N.J.) | |
| 1975-76 | Glen Karsten | Wrestling | Worthington (Minn.) |
| 1974-75 | Norman "Red" Hill | Tennis | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural (Ga.) |
| 1973-74 | Edward Badger | Basketball | Wilbur Wright (Ill.) |
| 1972-73 | Larry Brown | Football | Dodge City (Kan.) |
| Mike Hill | Golf | Jackson (Mich.) | |
| 1971-72 | Emmette Bryant | Basketball | Crane (Ill.) |
| Don Sutton | Baseball | Gulf Coast (Fla.) | |
| 1970-71 | Larry Hinson | Golf | South Georgia |
| Austin "Red" Robbins | Basketball | Chipola (Fla.) | |
| Dr. Glenn Wilkes | Basketball | Brewton Parker (Ga.) | |
| 1969-70 | Dr. Charles Donnelly | Baseball Coach | Flint (Mich.) |
| Maurice John | Basketball Coach | Moberly (Mo.) | |
| Bruce Larson | Basketball Coach | Eastern Arizona / Weber (Utah) | |
| 1968-69 | Lowell "Cotton" Fitzsimmons | Basketball | Hannibal-La Grange (Mo.) |
| Dick Motta | Basketball | Weber (Utah) | |
| 1965-66 | Darrell Floyd | Basketball | Wingate (N.C.) |
| Bobby Jancik | Football | Wharton (Texas) | |
| 1964-65 | Larry Jackson | Baseball | Boise (Idaho) |
| 1963-64 | Gil Coan | Baseball | Brevard (N.C.) |
| 1961-62 | Donald "Babe" Chandler | Football | Bacone Indian (Okla.) |
| 1960-61 | Denver Brackeen | Basketball | East Central (Miss.) |
| Robert Burrows | Basketball | Lon Morris (Texas) | |
| 1958-59 | Richie Ashburn | Baseball | Norfolk (Neb.) |
| Dick Garmaker | Basketball | Hibbing (Minn.) | |
| Jess Mortensen | Track & Field | Riverside (Calif.) | |
| Jackie Robinson | Baseball | Pasadena City (Calif.) | |
| Orban "Spec" Sanders | Football | Cameron (Okla.) | |
| Fred "Tex" Winters | Basketball | Compton (Calif.) |