RICHARDSON, Texas –– Mississippi College senior men’s basketball player Tyler Winford and McMurry senior women’s basketball player Tarra Richardson have earned the title of Distinguished Scholar-Athlete in their respective American Southwest Conference winter sport, the ASC office announced on Wednesday (March 12).
Overall, 23 student-athletes from ASC men’s and women’s basketball teams were named to the Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Team.
The honor, in its first year, recognizes student-athletes that achieve a higher level of academic achievement (a 3.20 grade-point average or better) while competing as a starter or important reserve on their team. From that list – limited to one nominee per school in each ASC championship sport – the Sports Information Directors from the conference’s 15 member institutions vote on a Distinguished Scholar-Athlete from each sport.
Winford (Madison, MS) was one of ten Jostens Trophy finalists this season, and award honoring the top NCAA Division III men’s basketball player in the nation for excellence on the court, academics and community service. He has already received early acceptance to medical school at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss., and will graduate from MC with a degree in biology and a 3.97 GPA. Winford is a two-time preseason all-American and was the leading scorer for ASC East Division champion Mississippi College at 13.4 points per game. Winford has been recognized the last two years as an Alpha Chi Scholar Athlete of the Year. He made the President’s List for six of seven semesters from 2004 through 2007, making all A’s except for one B.
Richardson (Fort Worth, TX) was recently named the winner of the Jostens Trophy, an award honoring the top NCAA Division III women’s basketball in the nation for excellence on the court, academics and community service. She was the first from the ASC to win the trophy and is a multi-time all-America selection. Richardson, a finance major with a 3.87 GPA, finished her career with 2,194 points, 1,015 rebounds, 304 blocks and 206 steals. She is McMurry’s all-time leader in the former three categories, the American Southwest Conference’s all-time leader in the former two categories and finished second all-time on McMurry’s career list for steals. In 2008 she was named to the first team academic all-American team by ESPN the Magazine and CoSIDA.
Both honorees were named to the 2007-08 ASC Academic All-Conference Team.
ASC WINTER 2007-08 DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR-ATHLETE TEAM
(+Sport’s Distinguished Scholar-Athlete)
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Name School Cl. Major GPA Hometown
Travis Dawson Howard Payne Sr. Ex. & Sport Science 3.57 Valera, TX
Jesse Hayes LeTourneau So. Kinesiology 3.46 Missouri, City, TX
Zane Johnston Mary Hardin-Baylor So. Ex. & Sport Science 3.35 Albany, TX
Ernest Lowery Texas-Dallas Jr. Account./Info. Mgmt 3.78 Houston, TX
Joel McDonald Concordia Texas Jr. Business 3.53 Lubbock, TX
Charlie Pannell Hardin-Simmons Jr. Ministry/History 3.23 Fort Worth, TX
Josh Scott Texas Lutheran Jr. Kinesiology 3.47 The Woodlands, TX
Morey Skluzacek La. College Sr. Bus. Mgt./Marketing 3.23 Alexandria, LA
+Tyler Winford Mississippi College Sr. Biology 3.97 Madison, MS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Name School Cl. Major GPA Hometown
Ericka Baker Texas-Dallas Sr. Psychology 3.70 Copperas Cove, TX
Kassandra Bills Concordia Texas Jr. Biology 3.21 Pflugerville, TX
Stacey Blalock Howard Payne Sr. Elementary Edu. 3.30 Magnolia, TX
Kasey Buggs Texas-Tyler Sr. Elec. Engineering 3.22 Lake Dallas, TX
Rachel Ciseneroz Hardin-Simmons Sr. Advertising/Comm. 3.76 DeLeon, TX
Erica Eneks Ozark Sr. Socio./Envir. Studies 3.44 Mountainburg, AR
Amber Lowe Texas Lutheran Jr. Kinesiology 4.0 Sugar Land, TX
Ashley Peairs La. College Jr. Nursing 3.68 Pride, LA
+Tarra Richardson McMurry Sr. Finance 3.87 Fort Worth, TX
Lynn Stow Schreiner Sr. Mathematics/Edu. 3.38 Lake Elsinor, CA
Kellie Thomas Mary Hardin-Baylor So. Mathematics 3.37 New Braunfels, TX
Erin Wait LeTourneau Sr. Biology/Pre-Med 4.00 White Oak, TX
Karlee Wilson East Texas Baptist So. Nursing 3.58 Hallsville, TX
Emily Younger Mississippi College So. Nursing 3.65 Madison, MS
ASC ALL-TIME DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR-ATHLETES
-WINTER 2007-08-
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Tyler Winford Mississippi College Sr. Biology 3.97 Madison, MS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Tarra Richardson McMurry Sr. Finance 3.87 Fort Worth, TX
-FALL 2007-
FOOTBALL
Matt Alves Texas Lutheran Sr. Business Administration 3.928 Austin, TX
MEN’S SOCCER
Jon Wilcoxson LeTourneau Jr. History/Political Science 4.00 Winona Lake, IN
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Laura Newbrough Hardin-Simmons Sr. Social Work 4.0 Sacramento, CA
VOLLEYBALL
Michelle Heckmann Concordia Texas Sr. Secondary Education 4.0 Gatesville, TX
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
R.J. Cowan Texas-Tyler Jr. Health & Kinesiology 4.0 Tyler, TX
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Dana Robbins Texas Lutheran Jr. Psychology/Kinesiology 4.0 Seguin, TX
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