102 TROY Student-Athletes Honored

COMMISSIONER'S LIST | ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL

NEW ORLEANS, La. – For the fourth consecutive year Sun Belt Conference student-athletes topped the 1,500 mark of Commissioner's List and Academic Honor Roll winners. This year, the winners totaled 1,659 student-athletes with 797 of them being on the Commissioner's List.

The Troy University Department of Athletics was responsible for 102 of the student-athletes making the list.

The Commissioner's List is comprised of student-athletes who received a grade point average of 3.5 or higher for the previous academic year. This year's total of 797 was a new all-time high for the Sun Belt Conference, breaking the previous record set for the 2009-10 year of 795. The league also had a total of 862 student-athletes named to the Academic Honor Roll, which is awarded to those maintaining a 3.0-3.49 GPA.

“Over the past four years we have witnessed a rise in overall academic performance by our institutions and the numbers over that time frame prove that,” said Sun Belt Conference Assistant Commissioner for Compliance and Educational Services Dominick Giambrone.

The Trojans placed 53 players on the Commissioner's List with five baseball players making the list in Thomas Austin (Mathematics), Joseph Hillyer (Criminal Justice), Daniel Peterson (Biology), Tyler Ray (Sport and Fitness Management) and Tyler Vaughn (Chemistry).

Meanwhile, Levan Patsatsia (Social Science) represented the men's basketball program; while John Gray (Sport and Fitness Management), Cody Johnson (undeclared) and Brandon Kent (Physical Education) represented the football program.

The golf program was represented by seven student-athletes; with four from the women and three from the men's program. On the men's side, Alex Barnes (Mathematics), Kyle Thommesen (Sport and Fitness Management) and Will Thompson (Political Science) all made the list; while on the women's side, Liz Balkcom (Communications), Sara Fennvik (Biology), Haley Lawrence (Athletic Training) and Caitlin Rohrbacher (Social Science) all earned the honor.

The women's soccer program led the Trojans with nine student-athletes named to the Commissioner's List; Katie Cooper (Psychology), Kaitlyn Jones (Athletic Training), April Madden (Business), Ceil Martinec (Marine Biology), Jacqui O'Shea (Sport and Fitness Management), Anna Owen (Design Technology), Jill Pinder (Biology), Ruth Sutcliffe (Sport and Fitness Management) and Cecilia Thorngren (Business).

Along with women's soccer, the softball program placed nine student-athletes on the Commissioner's List; Ashley Adkins (Sport and Fitness Management), Kortney Cooper (Chemistry), Hayden Gann (Nursing), Lauren Griffith (Mathematics), Michelle Hewett (Nursing), Haley Hutchins (Sport and Fitness Management), Kelly Luquette (Criminal Justice), Kacie McAllister (undeclared) and Melissa Pratt (Sport and Fitness Management).

Branko Weber (Sport and Fitness Management) and Karoline Grymel (Business) represented the TROY tennis programs.

Meanwhile, the men's track and field program had six student-athletes named to the list; Kevin Benham (Chemistry), Neko Freeman (Sport and Fitness Management), David Hudman (Information Systems), Kemper Morton (Communications), Caleb Osborne (Spanish) and Nathan Rouse (Mathematics). Meanwhile, the women's track and field program had five student-athletes named to the list; Chontia Allen (Physical Education), Catelyn Dake (Community Counseling), Haley Davies (undeclared), Morgan Paulson (Broadcast Journalism) and Tiffany Slater (Broadcast Journalism).

The volleyball program rounded out the Commissioner's List for the Trojans with six student-athletes named to the list. Lizzie Clough (Sport and Fitness Management), Courtney Cohen (Biology), Megan Henderson (Print Journalism), Brittany McClelland (Sport and Fitness Management), Devin Von Pingel (Sport and Fitness Management) and Victoria Rogoschewsky (Biology) all were named to the list.

The Trojans placed 49 players on the Academic Honor Roll, with baseball placing three players on the list in Tyler Hannah (Social Science), Todd McRae (Criminal Justice) and Ryan Sorce (Sport and Fitness Management). In men's basketball, Flynn Clayman (Social Science) was named to the list, while Ieva Nagy (English) was on the list in women's basketball.

The largest number of student-athletes on the Academic Honor Roll came in football, softball and women's track and field where the Trojans placed nine players on the list. Jason Bruce (Social Science), Jacob Creech (Social Science), Will Goggans (Post Baccalaureate), Donnell Golden (Criminal Justice), Donnell Golden (Criminal Justice), Jamie Hampton (Mathematics), Wes Henry (Biology), Kyle Lucas (Criminal Justice), Austin Silvoy (Broadcast Journalism) and Matt Stidham (Physical Education) all made the list from football.

The softball program was represented by Randi Ashworth (Criminal Justice), Morgan Grove (Criminal Justice), Sarah Harris (Sport and Fitness Management), Nikki Hollett (Physical Education), Jordan McAllister (Physical Education), Callie Rawlinson (Risk Managament and Insurance), Sarah Shields (Human Services), Taylor Smartt (undeclared) and Ashlyn Williams (Human Services).

The women's track and field program was represented by Ariel Cavazos (Sport and Fitness Management), Ashley Evans (Design Technology), Brynn Forsythe (Biology), Kendall Harris (Education), Allison Paulson (Criminal Justice), Megan Schnuelle (undeclared), Nicole Studstill (Business), Sally Taunton (Physical Education), Jessica Upshaw (Psychology).

Meanwhile, Zach Portemont (Sport and Fitness Management) and Sofia Bjorkman (Social Science) were named from the golf program. The women's soccer program had six student-athletes named to the Academic Honor Roll; Nikki Stamaris (Business), Carley Zurfluh (Biology), Apolonia Kukla (Biology), Kaolani Decock (Biology), Mary Morris (Biology) and Erin Cersley (Biology).

The men's track and field program had seven representatives named to the Academic Honor Roll; Matt Braswell (Nursing), Eddie Lynn (Marketing), Larry Henry (Social Science), Landry Key (Sport and Fitness Management), Enock Kirui (Accounting), O'Jike Maat (Sport and Fitness Management) and Caleb Tarver (Biology).

Meanwhile, the volleyball program was represented by Laura Mackley (Psychology) and Lindsey Schoewe (Biology).

Football had the most student-athletes selected total with 237, while women's soccer placed 219 on both lists. 863 student-athletes on the lists were comprised of seniors (463) or juniors (400).

10 of 12 Sun Belt Conference schools are currently graduating their student-athletes at a higher rate than their student body.

Over 90% of Sun Belt Conference teams earned a multiyear Academic Progress Rate (APR) of over 925 as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) released its annual APR report in May. In total, 92.4% of Sun Belt Conference teams earned a multiyear APR score over 925. Seven institutions had 100% of their programs score above the 925 mark, those institutions are: UALR, Denver, Louisiana-Lafayette, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Troy and Western Kentucky. Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic and FIU all had 94% of their programs score above the 925 mark.

“As a whole, Sun Belt Conference member institutions are hitting the mark for APR," Giambrone added. "Our institutions are committed to monitoring and maintaining their APR scores.”

Troy University Athletics

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