ASC Announces Winter/Spring Distinguished Scholar Athletes

6/11/2015 4:30:54 PM

Distinguished Scholar-Athletes

RICHARDSON, Texas – Ten student-athletes from five different member universities headline the 2014-15 Winter / Spring American Southwest Conference Distinguished Scholar-Athlete teams, the league office announced Thursday (June 11).

The Distinguished Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipients include Ozarks senior Sam Shook in baseball; East Texas Baptist senior Erby Thompson and Texas Dallas senior Matthew Medell as co-men’s basketball award winners; Texas Dallas senior Madi Hess in women’s basketball; Concordia Texas senior Jack Cersosimo in men’s golf; Texas-Tyler senior Jordan Sloane in women’s golf; Texas-Tyler junior Vanessa Carrizales in softball; Ozarks senior Todd Turner in men’s tennis; Texas Dallas junior Auvi Tran in women’s tennis; East Texas Baptist graduate Landon Price in men’s track and field, and Concordia Texas junior Katie Baker in women’s track and field.

Seniors Jack Cersosimo and Todd Turner each received their third consecutive Distinguished Scholar-Athlete awards. Texas Dallas led all schools with three Distinguished Scholar-Athlete awards. Concordia Texas, East Texas Baptist, Ozarks and Texas-Tyler each recorded two.

Overall, 79 student-athletes were named to the American Southwest Conference Winter / Spring 2014-15 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete teams.

The Distinguished Scholar-Athlete awards recognize student-athletes who achieve a high 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 12 ASC member institutions select a Distinguished Scholar-Athlete of the Year in each sport.

Sam Shook (Katy, Texas/Cinco Ranch HS) is the first Ozarks’ recipient of the ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in baseball. A member of the Dean’s List and a mathematics major with a 3.86 grade point average, Shook has earned numerous national awards for his academic and athletic success throughout his collegiate career, including CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America Third Team and All-District (2013). Shook graduated with summa cum laude honors this spring.

Erby Thompson (Pitkin, La./Plainview HS) helped lead the East Texas Baptist men’s basketball team to their most successful season in history. The Tigers captured their first ASC regular season and conference tournament championships prior to winning their first games in the NCAA Division III Championship and advancing to the Sectional finals. A kinesiology major with a 3.5 grade point average, Thompson is a three-time ASC Academic All-Conference selection and is the first ETBU recipient of the ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in men’s basketball. Thompson finished his collegiate career with 902 points and ranks fourth all-time in three-point field goals (161) at ETBU.

Matthew Medell (San Antonio, Texas/Reagan HS) picked up his second straight All-ASC certificate after earning third team honors this season. The eighth UTD men’s player to score 1,000 career points, Medell ends his collegiate career ranked sixth all-time on the program’s scoring list. An actuarial science major with a 3.3 grade point average, Medell was a four-year standout for the Comets. He averaged 12.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and was a three-time ASC Academic All-Conference honoree.

Madi Hess (Austin, Texas/Cedar Park HS) became the Comets’ first WBCA All-American after leading Texas Dallas to its first NCAA tournament wins and the school’s first appearance in the Sectionals. A First-Team All-ASC selection, Hess set the UTD season record for assists (158) and three-point field goal percentage (.459). She was named the ASC Championship Most Valuable Player after leading the Comets to their second conference title in three seasons. An emerging media and communications major with a 3.8 grade point average, Hess was the UT Dallas recipient of the ASC Scholar-Athlete Medal of Honor, was named to the CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District VIII First-Team and collected Academic All-Conference honors for the second time.

Jack Cersosimo (Austin, Texas/Lanier HS) is one of just four student-athletes to be named an ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete three times in the same sport. A nominee for the Jack Nicklaus Award, Cersosimo received PING All-West Region honors and competed as an individual in the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championship. A kinesiology major with a 3.6 grade point average, Cersosimo received the Concordia Texas ASC Scholar-Athlete Medal of Honor and was named to the CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District VIII team for a third consecutive season. The first Concordia Texas men’s golfer to claim medalist honors at the ASC Championship, Cersosimo ranked ninth in Division III with a 72.72 stroke average.

Jordan Sloane (Cypress, Texas/Cy-Fair HS) helped Texas-Tyler set an ASC Championship record for the lowest single-round score (309) and two-round score (626) en route to the Patriots claiming their second conference title. A criminal justice major with a 3.9 grade point average, Sloane is the Texas-Tyler recipient of the ASC Scholar-Athlete Medal of Honor and was inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society this year. She finished the season with a 78.14 stroke average to help lead the Patriots to a fourth-place finish at the 2015 NCAA Division III Championships.

Vanessa Carrizales (Austin, Texas/St. Michaels HS) helped the Patriots reach the 2015 NCAA Division III Championship finals and a national runner-up finish. A third team NFCA All-American, Carrizales hit .422 with 52 RBI and seven home runs. The ASC Academic All-Conference honoree sports a 3.85 grade point average as a criminal justice major.

Todd Turner (Pearcy, Ark./Lake Hamilton HS) is a four-time ITA Scholar Athlete, a three-time CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-American and ASC Academic All-Conference honoree. Named the University of the Ozarks Most Outstanding Senior Biology major, Turner was recipient of the Ozarks' ASC Scholar-Athlete Medal of Honor. During the 2015 dual match season, Turner played No. 1 singles (10-4) and paired with Bishop Bass for a 10-5 doubles mark to earn ASC All-East Division second team in singles and doubles. As the No. 1 singles player the past four seasons, Turner ranks second in program history with 38 career singles wins and has the second-most doubles wins (47). One of four student-athletes to be named an ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete three times in the same sport, Turner is a biology major with a 4.0 grade point average and graduated summa cum laude.

Auvi Tran (Plano, Texas/Plano Senior HS) was named to the All-ASC team and received first team All-ASC West Division honors at No. 1 doubles for the Comets in 2015. She posted a 5-1 mark in singles going 3-0 against ASC West opponents, primarily at No. 2 singles. A two-time ASC Academic All-Conference honoree, Tran is a biology major with a 3.8 grade point average.

Landon Price (Mount Vernon, Texas/Mount Vernon HS) is a religion and missions major with a 3.8 grade point average and a two-time ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete award recipient in 2014-15, claiming honors in cross country last fall. Price finished third at the ASC Track and Field Championships in both the 10,000-and 5,000-meter races. He is a member of the ETBU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Katie Baker (Corpus Christi, Texas/Calallen HS) is a kinesiology major with a 3.4 grade point average. She scored a team-high 22 points at the ASC Track and Field Championships and was named the ASC Field Athlete of the Year. Baker recorded two first-place finishes in the javelin and long jump. A two-sport athlete, Baker also received first team All-ASC honors in volleyball last fall.

ASC Winter / Spring 2014-15 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Teams

* Sport's Distinguished Scholar-Athlete of the Year
# Co-Sport's Distinguished Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Baseball

Name	University	Cl.	Major	Hometown
Sam Shook *	Ozarks	Sr.	Mathematics	Katy, Texas
Connor Bertsch	Concordia Texas	Jr.	Kinesiology	Fayetteville, Texas
Conner Combs	East Texas Baptist	So.	Accounting / Business	Southlake, Texas
Colson Craddick	Hardin-Simmons	Jr.	Fitness and Sports Science	Lubbock, Texas
Connor Roberts	Howard Payne	Sr.	Business Accounting	Midlothian, Texas
Ryan Bertram	LeTourneau	Sr.	Mechanical Engineering	Friendswood, Texas
Brand Bignar	Louisiana College	Sr.	Education	Jena, La.
Tripp Reeves	Mary Hardin-Baylor	Sr.	Economics	Sulphur Springs, Texas
Ben Douglas	McMurry	Sr.	Accounting	Saskatchewan, Canada
Trent Pearson	Sul Ross State	So.	Business Administration	Lubbock, Texas
Tim Cole	Texas Dallas	Jr.	Biology	Carlsbad, Calif.
Tyler Stallings	Texas-Tyler	Jr.	Kinesiology	Splendora, Texas

Men's Basketball

Name	University	Cl.	Major	Hometown
Erby Thompson #	East Texas Baptist	Sr.	Kinesiology	Pitkin, La.
Matthew Medell #	Texas Dallas	Sr.	Actuarial Science	San Antonio, Texas
Rashad Coleman	Concordia Texas	So.	Business Administration	San Antonio, Texas
Justin Jones	Hardin-Simmons	So.	Business	Holliday, Texas
J Bailey	Howard Payne	Jr.	Pre-Law / Honors Academy	Gunter, Texas
Russell Green	Mary Hardin-Baylor	Jr.	Pre-Physical Therapy	Klein, Texas
Thierry Tchenko	McMurry	So.	Political Science	Houston, Texas
Zakk Revelle	Sul Ross State	Sr.	Communication	Burnet, Texas
Latigo Collins	Texas-Tyler	So.	Kinesiology	Pampa, Texas

Women's Basketball

Name	University	Cl.	Major	Hometown
Madi Hess *	Texas Dallas	Sr.	Emerging Media & Comm.	Austin, Texas
Nadine Fadelle	Concordia Texas	Sr.	Business	Jersey Village, Texas
Amanda Rucker	East Texas Baptist	Sr.	Kinesiology	Grand Saline, Texas
Rachel Holik	Hardin-Simmons	Sr.	Exercise Science	Wall, Texas
Sarah Van Remmen	Howard Payne	Sr.	Chemistry	Santo, Texas
Bria Goodman	LeTourneau	So.	Kinesiology	Missouri City, Texas
Danisha Allison	Louisiana College	Sr.	Athletic Training	Oakdale, La.
Macy Moore	Mary Hardin-Baylor	Sr.	Mathematics	Houston, Texas
Taylor Russell	McMurry	Sr.	Biomedical Science	Liberty, Texas
Jordana Andrews	Ozarks	Sr.	Health Science	Center Ridge, Ark.
Falisha Villanueva	Sul Ross State	So.	Kinesiology / Sports Science	Weslaco, Texas
Madison Wilson	Texas-Tyler	So.	Mechanical Engineering	San Antonio, Texas

Men's Golf

Name	University	Cl.	Major	Hometown
Jack Cersosimo *	Concordia Texas	Sr.	Kinesiology	Austin, Texas
Ryan Hughes	Hardin-Simmons	Sr.	Exercise Science	New Braunfels, Texas
Will Park	LeTourneau	Sr.	Engineering Technology	The Woodlands, Texas
Dillon Dunbar	Louisiana College	Sr.	Biology	Marksville, La.
Jarrod Brown	Mary Hardin-Baylor	So.	Engineering	Groves, Texas
Garrett Betts	McMurry	Sr.	Accounting	Quanah, Texas
Tanner Landry	Texas Dallas	So.	Economics	The Hills, Texas
Chapman Herwood	Texas-Tyler	Sr.	Finance	Tyler, Texas

Women's Golf

Name	University	Cl.	Major	Hometown
Jordan Sloane *	Texas-Tyler	Sr.	Criminal Justice	Cypress, Texas
Shelby Allen	Concordia Texas	So.	Communications	Magnolia, Texas
Kara Doege	Hardin-Simmons	Jr.	Speech Pathology	Monahans, Texas
Alisa Wilson	LeTourneau	So.	Biology	Snohomish, Wash.
Elizabeth Davis	Mary Hardin-Baylor	Jr.	Management	Houston, Texas
Leah Morgan	McMurry	Sr.	Early Childhood Education	North Richland Hills, Texas
Alejandra Serrate	Texas Dallas	Sr.	Global Business	Batavia, Ill.

Softball

Name	University	Cl.	Major	Hometown
Vanessa Carrizales *	Texas-Tyler	Jr.	Criminal Justice	Austin, Texas
Jessica Borrego	Concordia Texas	Sr.	Kinesiology	Spring, Texas
Lacey Lindsey	East Texas Baptist	So.	Nursing	Leander, Texas
Sarah Truelove	Hardin-Simmons	Jr.	Exercise Science	Temple, Texas
Amanda Cruddas	Howard Payne	Gr.	M. Ed-Instructional Leadership	Killeen, Texas
Courtney Matulis	LeTourneau	So.	Mathematics Education	Pittsburg, Texas
Laura Gulotta-Parrish	Louisiana College	Sr.	Biology	Plaquemine, La.
Kelsey Vann	Mary Hardin-Baylor	Sr.	Mass Communications / PR	Moody, Texas
Shawnee Sorensen	Ozarks	Sr.	Health Science	Mountainburg, Ark.
Maile Hoyt	Sul Ross State	Sr.	Kinesiology and Sports Science	Toyah, Texas
Avery McHugh	Texas Dallas	Sr.	Business Administration	Uvalde, Texas

Men's Tennis

Name	University	Cl.	Major	Hometown
Todd Turner *	Ozarks	Sr.	Biology	Pearcy, Ark.
Tyler Tolopka	East Texas Baptist	Jr.	Biology	Sugarland, Texas
Andrew Eurek	Hardin-Simmons	So.	Finance	Flower Mound, Texas
Marshall McIntosh	Howard Payne	Sr.	Communications	San Saba, Texas
Morgan Weaver	LeTourneau	Jr.	Mechanical Engineering	Jacksonville, Texas
Jake Stamps	Mary Hardin-Baylor	Gr.	Master’s of Education	Shoreacres, Texas
Casjen Rico	McMurry	Sr.	Finance	Grapevine, Texas
Chris Wootton	Texas-Tyler	Sr.	Management	Dallas, Texas

Women's Tennis

Name	University	Cl.	Major	Hometown
Auvi Tran *	Texas Dallas	Jr.	Biology	Plano, Texas
Shavonne Nuall	East Texas Baptist	So.	Biology	Grand Prairie, Texas
Hannah Smith	Hardin-Simmons	So.	Finance	Ransom Canyon, Texas
Tiffany Bullock	Howard Payne	Jr.	Elementary Education	Red Oak, Texas
Amy Miley	LeTourneau	So.	Pre-Nursing	Longview, Texas
Elizabeth Ostroff	Mary Hardin-Baylor	Jr.	Psychology	The Woodlands, Texas
Dana LeMieux	McMurry	Sr.	Ex. Science / Human Per.	Abilene, Texas
Megan Wallace	Ozarks	Sr.	Mathematics	Malvern, Ark.
Hannah Rodgers	Sul Ross State	So.	Computer Science	El Paso, Texas
Janae Warren	Texas-Tyler	Jr.	Kinesiology	New Braunfels, Texas

Men's Track and Field

Name	University	Cl.	Major	Hometown
Landon Price *	East Texas Baptist	Gr.	Religion / Missions	Mount Vernon, Texas
Matt Ruhe	Concordia Texas	Sr.	Kinesiology	The Woodlands, Texas
Luke Wells	Hardin-Simmons	Sr.	Speech Pathology	Pflugerville, Texas
Spencer Patterson	McMurry	Sr.	Ex. Science / Human Per.	Mansfield, Texas
Matthew Markert	Texas-Tyler	So.	Economics	Lucas, Texas

Women's Track and Field

Name	University	Cl.	Major	Hometown
Katie Baker *	Concordia Texas	Jr.	Kinesiology	Corpus Christi, Texas
Rachel Ferguson	East Texas Baptist	Jr.	Psychology	Hemphill, Texas
Elissa Paniagua	Hardin-Simmons	Jr.	Athletic Training	Abilene, Texas
Mariah Steinbock	McMurry	Sr.	All Levels Physical Ed.	Sudan, Texas
Alejandra Ruiz	Sul Ross State	So.	Psychology	Clint, Texas
Mari Jane Rodriguez	Texas-Tyler	So.	Kinesiology	San Antonio, Texas

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