Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Bryce Martin, and West Texas A&M’s Zach Daniel and Bri Leeper were named Lone Star Conference Academic Athletes of the Year on Wednesday when league officials announced the LSC’s annual academic awards for men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.
Martin and Daniel shared the men’s top honor, while Leeper earned the women’s highest academic honor.
Martin and Daniel led a group of 11 track and field stars on the LSC Men’s All-Academic Team, while Leeper was joined by 11 standouts on the LSC Women’s All-Academic Team.
A junior civil engineering major from Salado, Texas, Martin has a pole vault marking of 15-10 (4.83m) that ranks him 3rd in the LSC and 32nd in Division II.
A junior sport and exercise sciences major from Crane, Texas, Daniel ran the fifth-fastest 5,000 meters in school history at the Texas Relays (14:47.16), and has a personal best time of 4:00.34 in the 1,500 meters.
A senior broadcasting and electronic media major from Amarillo, Texas, Leeper currently ranks eighth in the LSC and 29th in the nation in the 200 meters with a time of 24.46. The two-time Elite 89 winner also runs the second leg for the 4x100 meter relay (45.47) that ranks second in the nation.
To be eligible for LSC academic honors, student-athletes must carry at least a 3.30 grade point average and have reached sophomore status both athletically and academically. The Academic Player of Year award and All-Academic Team are selected from the list of academically qualified players, with the league’s sports information directors voting based on both academic and athletic achievement.
On the men’s all-academic team with Martin and Daniel was TAMUK’s James Passely; WT’s John Ferrin and Jacob Norris; Tarleton State’s Jordan Jones and Dylan Willett; Angelo State’s Jacob Reid and Asael Arad; and Texas A&M-Commerce’s Turner Pool and Louis Simon.
Martin and Daniel were repeat selections.
Joining Leeper on the women’s side was teammates Libby Strickland, Jasmine Pitts, and Sommer Wilder; TSU’s Aly Coughlin; ASU’s Claudia Ramirez, Morgan Rodgers, and Amber Graham; A&M-C’s Terra Truitt; TAMUK’s Mariah Noyola; and ENMU’s Alexis Aguirre and Amber Saiz.
Leeper and Strickland claimed a spot on the all-academic team for the third consecutive year.
Overall, 23 men and women were selected to the All-Academic teams.
2016 LSC OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD ALL-ACADEMIC AWARDS
MEN’S ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Player |
Team |
Yr. |
Major |
Hometown |
Bryce Martin |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
Jr. |
Civil Engineering |
Salado, Texas |
Zach Daniel |
West Texas A&M |
Jr. |
Sport and exercise sciences |
Crane, Texas |
Jordan Jones |
Tarleton State |
Sr. |
Criminal Justice |
Stephenville, Texas |
Dylan Willett |
Tarleton State |
Sr. |
Family & Cons Sciences |
San Antonio, Texas |
Jacob Reid |
Angelo State |
So. |
Exercise Science |
Wall, Texas |
Asael Arad |
Angelo State |
Sr. |
International Business |
Shapira, Raanana, Israel |
Turner Pool |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
So. |
Finance/Accounting |
Frisco, Texas |
James Passely |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
Jr. |
Architectural Engineering |
Portland, Jamaica |
John Ferrin |
West Texas A&M |
So. |
History |
Amarillo, Texas |
Jacob Norris |
West Texas A&M |
Jr. |
Sport and exercise sciences |
Forney, Texas |
Louis Simon |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
So. |
Management |
Rostock, Deutschland |
LSC Men’s Track & Field Academic Players of the Year: Bryce Martin, Texas A&M-Kingsville, and Zach Daniel, West Texas A&M
WOMEN’S ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Player |
Team |
Yr. |
Major |
Hometown |
Bri Leeper |
West Texas A&M |
Sr. |
Broadcasting/Elec Media |
Amarillo, Texas |
Aly Coughlin |
Tarleton State |
Sr. |
Kinesiology |
Rockwall, Texas |
Libby Strickland |
West Texas A&M |
Sr. |
Health Science |
Amarillo, Texas |
Claudia Ramirez |
Angelo State |
Sr. |
Curriculum & Instruction |
Del Rio, Texas |
Jasmine Pitts |
West Texas A&M |
Jr. |
Psychology |
Midlothian, Texas |
Terra Truitt |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
Jr. |
Interdisciplinary Studies |
Pampa, Texas |
Morgan Rodgers |
Angelo State |
So. |
Pre-Nursing |
Hamlin, Texas |
Sommer Wilder |
West Texas A&M |
So. |
Psychology |
Canyon, Texas |
Alexis Aguirre |
Eastern New Mexico |
So. |
Biology |
Artesia, N.M. |
Mariah Noyola |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
So. |
Management |
Harlingen, Texas |
Amber Graham |
Angelo State |
Sr. |
Kinesiology |
Cisco, Texas |
Amber Saiz |
Eastern New Mexico |
Sr. |
Biology |
Belen, N.M. |
LSC Women’s Track & Field Academic Player of the Year: Bri Leeper, West Texas A&M