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OTHER 2012-13 ASC FRED JACOBY SPORTSMANSHIP ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEE BIOS |
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Biographical information provided by each student-athletes’ sports information director or head coach. |
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T.J. Martin, 3B, Sr., Texas-Tyler (Baseball) |
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TJ, a senior from Plano has played all four seasons with the Patriots and has received numerous honors. Even though he is known for his defensive prowess on the field, he is also known for helping runners up after a slide, keeping a great attitude and staying positive throughout the game. |
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Chris Whitehead, 1B, Sr., Schreiner (Baseball) |
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Chris has always been one of those players that stood out due to his sportsmanship towards his teammates and his opponents. Chris was Team Captain, a two-year rep on SAAC, and co-founded the largest Bible study on campus. You can always see Chris chatting on with opponents, coaches, and umpires about anything and everything while at he was on base or playing 1B/Catcher. A talented hitter, Chris has hit hard comebackers back at pitchers that forced the pitcher out of the game and he would always go over to make sure they were ok afterwards. |
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Zakk Revelle, G, So., Sul Ross State (Basketball) |
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Zakk is respectful to everyone on the court. He does argue when a call is made against him or gloat when it is in his favor. Revelle helps players up on the floor despite they uniform they wear. He is able to control his teammates and prevent conflicts from escalating. He takes the imitative to do the right thing despite the outcome. |
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Tino Gonzalez, Sr., Mississippi College (Cross Country) |
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Tino has been running on the cross country team at Mississippi College for the past four years. He has been a leader on the course since he stepped on campus and won the individual ASC championship as a freshman. Gonzalez also leads the team by example off the course, showing a spirit of sportsmanship to go along with a competitive spirit. He was selected as the Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year for men's cross country. |
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Cortland Bell, WR, Sr., Louisiana College (Football) |
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Cortland is the leader of LC’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization … Three-time football team captain … Leader of multiple church organizations and youth groups in the Central Louisiana area … Spent the summer on a mission trip in Haiti. |
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Blake Rome, LB, Sr., Mississippi Colllege (Football) |
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Blake has played for the Choctaws for four years and earned a starting linebacker spot as a senior. He was a team captain this season and was picked for that due to his positive attitude on and off the field. |
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Joey Rippel, Sr., Texas-Tyler (Golf) |
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Named the 2013 ASC Sportsmanship Golfer of the Year, Joey has already made a name for himself as someone who others respect. A survivor of cancer, Joey knows what hard work and a helping hand are all about. |
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Pete Fitzsimmons, F, Sr., East Texas Baptist (Soccer) |
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Pete has been a Captain for the soccer team for the past two seasons and, while a highly competitive individual, is an individual of faith who fully understands the meaning of sportsmanship. He plays hard on the field but after a game is the first to shake hands with the other team regardless of the game's outcome. At one point, Pete was a pitcher for the ETBU Baseball team while also playing soccer. Outside of athletics at ETBU, Pete spends his summer working at a youth camp where he daily interacts in a most positive manner with the kids there. |
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Caio Sousa, F, Jr., Louisiana College (Soccer) |
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Caio is the team captain for soccer ... Led team prayer for both teams following each home match during the fall ... Leader of LC's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. |
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Austin Carrola, #1/1, So., Schreiner (Tennis) |
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Austin played every opponent the same, with class and respect. There wasn't one time all year when either of these two displayed behavior or conduct that made our school look unfavorable. Both have been model teammates and competitors this year and I'm happy they are getting recognized for winning the award. |
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Ryan Spencer, #4/2, Jr., Texas-Tyler (Tennis) |
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A junior from Katy, Spencer has made a name for himself on the tennis court for the Patriots. He was named the ASC East Sportsmanship player of the year for exemplifying a great attitude and helping hand on and off the court. |
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Lee Caruthers, Sul Ross State (Track and Field) |
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Lee is a leader both on and off the field. He is respectful towards his opponents. Carothers encourages his teammates when they fail and congratulates them when they succeed. He represents Sul Ross State in a respectful manner both in triumph and defeat. |
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Brandi Dittert, F, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor (Basketball) |
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Brandy's competitiveness was evident as she battled back from two serious knee injuries to complete her eligibility. She took on a leadership role on and off the court as the only senior on the roster for the Cru women's basketball team. Brandy was always respectful of officials, opponents and coaches as she helped lead the UMHB women back to the ASC Championship Tournament after a one-year absence. Her work ethic was displayed through her completion of UMHB's rigorous nursing program during her playing career as she graduated on May 4th. |
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Valeri Stewart, G, Sr., Mississippi College (Basketball) |
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Valeri was a four-year player for the Lady Choctaws, starting 36 games. She was involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Mississippi College and leads the team devotionals before the games. Stewart injured her hand during the season and was forced to miss seven games, but remained an integral part of the team due to her leadership and positive attitude. |
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Nicole Leman, Sr., LeTourneau (Cross Country) |
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Even after winning races and becoming the first cross country runner in LeTourneau's history to win the ASC Individual Championship, Nicole always encouraged other runners and cheered them forward as they tried to finish. Leman was also spotted at times bringing opponents water after a race and telling them how great of a race they ran. |
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Katie Walser, Sr., Texas-Dallas (Golf) |
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Katie displayed sportsmanship by always assisting other players with looking and identifying balls, knowledge of rules, and assistance with pace of play issues. She also reported incidents of injury and assisted others with their issues if unable to complete round or play for that day. Always a mediator for team issues with other schools, coaches and fans. |
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Lindsey Edwards, MF, Sr., Texas-Tyler (Soccer) |
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Lindsey was named the 2012 Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year for women’s soccer, and continues to help others. She is a math major who plans on teaching in the future. |
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Christina Hartsfield, D, Sr., Hardin-Simmons (Soccer) |
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Christina Hartsfield is always a class act on and off the field. She has great leadership qualities and uses her superior speed to be in the right spots at the right time. She is respected by her teammates and competitors because of how hard and clean she plays. She did not have a yellow card in four years as a starter for the Cowgirls. |
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Bethany Roberson, GK, Sr., Mississippi College (Soccer) |
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Bethany has been a four-year player for the Lady Choctaws, starting for two seasons as the goalkeeper. She has been a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at MC and was voted the team captain for her senior season. Roberson leads the team devotionals and is the person the girls look to for guidance on and off the field. She also led the team in a weekly Bible study and led the team in the Lord's Prayer with the opponents at the end of each game, home and away. |
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Jeni Olbeter, RHP, Sr., Texas-Dallas (Softball) |
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Jeni is the definition of hard work and perseverance. After having a sub-par first season at UTD, she left the team her sophomore year due to a combination of being injured and conflicting with a coach on ethical issues. Jeni returned to the team her junior year, new coach in place, and exemplified one of the most selfless, team-first attitudes the program has ever seen. Her senior year she was named a captain because of these attributes, as well as leading our team in the pitcher’s circle. Jeni is kind, compassionate, a hard worker and the ultimate teammate. |
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Sara Whitehead, 1B, Jr., LeTourneau (Softball) |
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Sara works at all times to get herself through school as her dad is ill back in Coppell. She was always one to encourage teams to join the Jackets after a game for a word of prayer in the middle of the circle, no matter what happened in the game. She was always an encouragement of all teammates and showed complete respect for anyone they squared off against. |
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Kayla McMillan, OF, Sr., Texas Lutheran (Softball) |
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Kayla McMillan exhibited tremendous unselfishness throughout her senior season with the Bulldogs. Having started for the three previous seasons, Kayla was faced with splitting time in center field with a freshman. She handled the move with class and never once questioned the decision. Kayla put her team and her teammates above herself. She kept fighting to improve her game, always encouraged her teammates and, in her first-ever conference tournament game, went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI in a TLU victory. |
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Mitzi Morgan, #1/1, Sr., Mississippi College (Tennis) |
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Mitzi has played on the women's tennis team for four years and played the #1 position as a senior. She is a leader for the Lady Choctaws on and off the court. |
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Kelley Spahn, #5/3, Sr., Schreiner (Tennis) |
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Kelley played every opponent the same, with class and respect. There wasn't one time all year when either of these two displayed behavior or conduct that made our school look unfavorable. Both have been model teammates and competitors this year and I'm happy they are getting recognized for winning the award. |
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Dana Hilzendager, OH, Sr., Texas-Dallas (Volleyball) |
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Not only has Dana been one of the most decorated players in our program's history, but she is one of the best players, teammates and most importantly one of the best people, that I have ever had the opportunity to coach. She is always respectful of her teammates, our staff, our administrators, professors, etc. Dana is one of the first to greet opponents and is very gracious in victory and defeat. Despite a significant position change during our season, Dana showed tremendous sportsmanship to her teammates and staff. As a team captain, she sacrificed her wants to the needs of the team. She always thanks multiple fans for coming to our games after matches, and she was always respectful and friendly greeting our opponents prior to games and helping locate locker rooms, training room, etc. |