May 19th, 2009
(Photo of Cody Fuller by Tim Clark; Photo of Valerie Clark by Lee Usry)
SEGUIN, Texas - Texas Lutheran student-athletes Valerie Clark and Cody Fuller were named American Southwest Conference Distinguished Scholar-Athletes in women's track and field and men's tennis, respectively, after a vote of the conference's 15 sports information directors.
Clark (Salado/Salado) and Fuller (Cedar Park/Cedar Park), May graduates of TLU, were two of the nine spring sport award winners announced by the conference.
Overall, 69 student-athletes from ASC baseball, golf, softball, tennis and track and field teams were named to the Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Team.
The honor, in its second academic 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.
Fuller (Cedar Park/Cedar Park) and Nick Kreines of the University of Texas at Tyler shared the honor for men's tennis.
Fuller, a senior business major with a 3.83 GPA, was a 2009 ASC West Division Second Team selection after winning his final four matches (all in conference play) at No. 2 singles.
Fuller was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI First Team selection in 2007. He missed 2008 eligibility for Academic All-District nomination because he studied in China for the 2008 tennis season. Fuller, a senior captain, graduated with honors from TLU.
Clark (Salado/Salado), a senior kinesiology major with a 3.87 GPA, was a four-year letterwinner on the TLU women's track & field team. She was a member of four ASC runner-up finishes in the women's team standings. Clark won the 2008 ASC Championship in the 400 hurdles, and she was a two-time All-ASC performer at the conference championships. In addition to an All-ASC honor in 2008, she was on the conference champion 4x400 meter relay team in 2007.
Clark was a 2007-08 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI selection for women's track & field/women's cross country.
TLU student-athletes also named to the ASC Spring 2009 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Teams were: junior Ryan Nokelby (Santa Fe/Santa Fe) for baseball, sophomore Matthew Matta (Big Fork, Minn./Big Fork) for men's golf, junior Angela Aufderhaar (Seguin/Seguin) for women's golf), and senior Alison Organ (Houston/Westfield) for softball,
All nine honorees were named to the Spring 2009 ASC Academic All-Conference Team.
ASC SPRING 2009 DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR-ATHLETE TEAM
(+Sport's Distinguished Scholar-Athlete(s))
BASEBALL
Name School Cl. Major Hometown
+ Tim Bruss Mississippi College Sr. Marketing Oxford,
MS
Nick Cmerek Concordia Texas Sr. Accounting Austin, TX
Kyle Pope East Texas Baptist Jr. Accounting
Longview, TX
Jaxon Jordan Hardin-Simmons So. Biology/Pre-Med Abilene, TX
Blake Shaffer Howard Payne Sr. Exercise and Sport Sci.
Brownwood, TX
David Roux Louisiana College Sr. Fitness and Wellness
Denham Springs, LA
Hunter Hawkins Mary Hardin-Baylor Sr. Accounting Sugar
Land, TX
Nathan Love McMurry Sr. Management Amarillo, TX
Arturo Perez Ozarks So. Management Caracas, Venezuela
Ray Martinez Schreiner Sr. Bio Chemistry Boerne, TX
Monte Piper Sul Ross State Jr. History Houston, TX
Neal Gordon Texas-Dallas Sr. Business Admin. Houston, TX
Brett Holland Texas-Tyler Sr. Health & Kinesiology Lindale,
TX
Ryan Nokelby Texas Lutheran Jr. Physics Santa Fe, TX
MEN'S GOLF
Name School Cl. Major Hometown
+ Garrett Greene Louisiana College Sr. Business
Management Dry Creek, LA
Kevin Hoppman Concordia Texas Sr. International Business Dallas,
TX
Adam Parker Hardin-Simmons Sr. Accounting Sweetwater, TX
Garrison Nordt Mary Hardin-Baylor Jr. Business Administration
Waco, TX
Alexander Buchanan McMurry So. General Business Keller,
TX
Brian Vaughn Texas-Dallas Jr Finance/Bus. Admin. Plano,
TX
Brandon Ellis Texas-Tyler Jr. Management Village Mills,
TX
Matthew Matta Texas Lutheran So. Business Big Fork, MN
WOMEN'S GOLF
Name School Cl. Major Hometown
+ Kristine Chen Texas-Dallas Sr. Business Adm. Plano, TX
Kristen Baskin LeTourneau Jr. Kinesiology Dallas, TX
Amber Grounds Texas-Tyler So. Marketing Whitesboro, TX
Angela Aufderhaar Texas Lutheran Jr. Psychology Seguin,
TX
SOFTBALL
Name School Cl. Major Hometown
+ Courtney Clark Hardin-Simmons Jr. Education Eula, TX
Jodi Hierholzer Concordia Texas So. Kinesiology Karnes City, TX
Adrienne Meier East Texas Baptist Jr. Biology
Bellville, TX
Melissa Hall Howard Payne So. Exercise and Sport Sci. Comfort,
TX
Kelly Williams Louisiana College So. History West Monroe, LA
Kelsey Greeson Mary Hardin-Baylor Jr. Management Temple,
TX
Lauren Coleman Mississippi College So. Biology Schlater, MS
Julie Wilkinson Ozarks So Mathematics Unionville, Mo.
Patsy Toman Schreiner Sr. Exercise Science Hockley,
TX
Heather Harydzak Texas-Dallas Jr. Interdisciplinary
Studies Pasadena, TX
Kelsey Ainsworth Texas-Tyler So. Education Mildred,
TX
Alison Organ Texas Lutheran Sr. Business Houston, TX
MEN'S TENNIS
Name School Cl. Major Hometown
+Cody Fuller Texas Lutheran Sr. Business Cedar Park, TX
+Nick Kreines Texas-Tyler Jr. Business Houston, TX
Andy Cairens Hardin-Simmons So. Undeclared Levelland, TX
Ross Sidman Howard Payne Jr. Criminal Justice
Seabrook, TX
Uli de la Fuente LeTourneau So. Computer Info. Systems
El Paso, TX
Troy Folse Louisiana College Jr. Economics and Finance
Moss Bliff, LA
Daniel Olivares McMurry So. Marketing Houston, TX
Chas Dunn Mississippi College Sr. Business Brandon,
MS
Brandon Carlson Ozarks Jr. History/Social Science Grapevine, TX
James Aldridge Sul Ross State Sr. Criminal Justice El Paso,
TX
Donald Kasitinon Texas-Dallas Jr. Electrical Engineering
Lewisville, TX
WOMEN'S TENNIS
Name School Cl. Major Hometown
+ Lisa Mertz Hardin-Simmons So. Nursing Cleburne, TX
Kayla Smith Howard Payne So. Pre-Med/Biology Pasadena, TX
Mary Lauren Bright LeTourneau So. Kinesiology
Gladewater, TX
Natalie Mazhambe Louisiana College So.
Psychology/Social Work Pineville, LA
Christi Voss Mary Hardin-Baylor So. Nursing Jarrell, TX
Kristin Bray McMurry Sr. Marketing Lubbock, TX
Sydney Moak Mississippi College So. Biology Brookhaven, MS
Brittany Hein Ozarks Sr. Political Science Grand Prairie,
TX
Christine Gallardo Sul Ross State Jr. Int. Studies El Paso,
TX
Susan Heston Texas-Dallas Gr. Comm. Disorders Dallas, TX
Beth Launius Texas-Tyler Sr. Mechanical Eng. LaGrange, TX
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Name School Cl. Major Hometown
+ R.J. Cowan Texas-Tyler Gr. Health & Kinesiology Tyler,
TX
Brendon Kelso Hardin-Simmons Jr. Bible Jacksboro, TX
Kevine Norris McMurry Sr. Exercise Science Galveston, TX
Will Clingan Mississippi College So. Secondary Education
Biloxi, MS
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Name School Cl. Major Hometown
+ Valerie Clark Texas Lutheran Sr. Kinesiology Salado, TX
Haylee Allen Hardin-Simmons Jr. Education Tuscola, TX
Molly Fuston McMurry Jr. Biology Childress, TX
Ivy Price Mississippi College So. Biology Corinth, MS
Ashton Wells Texas-Tyler Jr. Biology Quitman, TX
ALL-TIME ASC DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR-ATHLETES
-SPRING 2009-
BASEBALL
Tim Bruss Mississippi College Sr. Marketing
MEN'S GOLF
Garrett Greene Louisiana College Sr. Business Management
WOMEN'S GOLF
Kristine Chen Texas-Dallas Sr. Business Administration
SOFTBALL
Courtney Clark Hardin-Simmons Jr. Education
MEN'S TENNIS
Cody Fuller Texas Lutheran Sr. Business
Nick Kreines Texas-Tyler Jr. Business
WOMEN'S TENNIS
Lisa Mertz Hardin-Simmons So. Nursing
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
R.J. Cowan Texas-Tyler Gr. Health & Kinesiology
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Valerie Clark Texas Lutheran Sr. Kinesiology
-WINTER 2008-09-
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Ernest Lowery Texas-Dallas Gr. Accounting/Information
Management
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Haylee Allen Hardin-Simmons Jr. Education
-FALL 2008-
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
R.J. Cowan Texas-Tyler Gr. Health & Kinesiology
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Julianne Armstrong Texas-Tyler Sr. Health & Kinesiology
FOOTBALL
+Doug Carlton East Texas Baptist Sr. Chemistry
MEN'S SOCCER
Brian Sarber Ozarks Sr. Accounting
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Amy Kuykendall Hardin-Simmons Jr. Accounting
VOLLEYBALL
Brooke McGehee East Texas Baptist Sr. Biology
-SPRING 2008-
BASEBALL
Brent Voorhees McMurry Sr. Mathematics
MEN'S GOLF
Ryan Eastman Mary Hardin-Baylor Sr. Christian Ministry
WOMEN'S GOLF
Carly Hansen Texas Lutheran So. Physics
SOFTBALL
Amber Griffin Texas-Dallas Sr. Business Administration
MEN'S TENNIS
Chas Dunn Mississippi College Jr. Business Administration
WOMEN'S TENNIS
Alanna Gangemi Texas Lutheran Sr. Psychology
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
R.J. Cowan Texas-Tyler Jr. Health & Kinesiology
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Rachel Hardin Mississippi College Sr. Elem. Education
-WINTER 2007-08-
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Tyler Winford Mississippi College Sr. Biology
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Tarra Richardson McMurry Sr. Finance
-FALL 2007-
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
R.J. Cowan Texas-Tyler Jr. Health & Kinesiology
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Dana Robbins Texas Lutheran Jr. Psychology/ Kinesiology
FOOTBALL
Matt Alves Texas Lutheran Sr. Business Administration
MEN'S SOCCER
Jon Wilcoxson LeTourneau Jr. History/Political Science
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Laura Newbrough Hardin-Simmons Sr. Social Work
VOLLEYBALL
Michelle Heckmann Concordia Texas Sr. Secondary Educations