Spring Distinguished Scholar-Athletes Announced

6/1/2010 4:38:09 PM

By: By: Greg Weghorst, ASC Director of Media Relations

RICHARDSON, Texas –– East Texas Baptist University's Kyle Pope and Adrienne Meier, University of Texas at Dallas' Surya Prakash, Texas Lutheran University's Angela Aufderhaar and Jacqueline Allen, Howard Payne University's Ross Sidman, Louisiana College's Meggie Hixson and Hardin-Simmons University's Brendon Kelso – all seniors – have earned the title of Distinguished Scholar-Athlete in their respective American Southwest Conference 2010 spring sport, the league office announced on Tuesday (June 1).

Overall, 69 student-athletes from ASC baseball, men's golf, women's golf, softball, men's tennis, women's tennis, men's track and field and women's track and field were named to the Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Team.

The honor, in its third 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.

Pope (Longview, TX), who majored in acciunting with a 3.91 GPA, was a two-sport athlete at ETBU. Pope has been an ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete in both football and baseball and is a three-time member of the ASC All-Academic team for football and baseball. He set ETBU's career record for field goals made with 25 and nailed a school-record 12 field goals in 2007. Pope is a three-time member of All-ASC East baseball team and a three-time winner of ETBU's Top Tiger Award, given annually to the top student-athlete on campus. Pope was a 2010 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American.

Prakash (Kolkata, India), who majored in business administration with a 3.96 GPA, was one of UTD's consistently top performers all season long, averaging 78.5 strokes a round throughout the season. He graduated with honors in just three years. Prakash was a previous winner of UTD Distinguished Scholar-Athlete award.

Aufderhaar (Seguin, TX), who majored in psychology with a 3.53 GPA, was named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VI First Team for the college division Women's At-Large program. Aufderhaar was named TLU Female Student-Athlete of the Year. In 2009, she was the ASC Women's Golf individual runner-up. She was a 2007 ASC All-Conference First Team honoree and a 2008 and 2010 ASC All-Conference Second Team award winner. Aufderhaar was twice named the ASC Women's Golf Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year (in 2009 and 2010). She was a three-time Academic All-ASC selection and lettered all four years in women's golf, leading TLU to the 2007 ASC Championship. Aufderhaar was the team's top finisher (tied for 68th) at the 2007 national tournament. In 2010, she won two tournaments and posted individual finishes of second, third, and fourth in three other tourneys. In 2008 and 2010, Aufderhaar was named to the National Golf Coaches Association All-West Region Team for NCAA Division III.

Meier (Bellville, TX), who majored in biology with a 3.70 GPA, made the Dean's List seven times (five times with honors), She was part of ETBU's national champion team in 2010. Meier earned All-West Region first team honors as a junior as well as being on the NCAA First-Round Tournament All-Tournament Team. Meier was ASC All-East Division First Team twice, Second Team once and an honorable mention pick once. She earned ASC All-Academic honors four times and was an ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete. Meier started in the outfield this season but has been the ultimate utility player for her career, with career starts in left field, right field, third base, second base and first base. She is a member of MSISO and Relay for Life and plans on attending physical therapy school after graduation. Meier has also been named to the ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Team.

Sidman (Seabrook, TX), who majored in criminal justice with a 3.94 GPA, is a four-year letterman. Sidman played a key role in the Yellow Jackets making the ASC postseason tournament the past two seasons. He is a three-time Academic All-Conference selection, on the HPU President's list and an All-Conference selection. He was HPU's Scholar-Athlete award winner. Sidman is also a member of Sigma Theta Phi and has helped out with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Brownwood.

Hixson (Lake Charles, LA), who majored in both biology and chemistry with a 3.82 GPA, graduated Magna Cum Laude with one of the highest GPA's in the class of 2010 among all students. Hixson was LC tennis team's No. 1 for 2010 and finished her season, a rebuilding one at LC, with a win versus Rust College. She was the only senior on this year's squad who played all four years on the women's tennis team. Hixson won the prestigious Townsend-Mallard Award, which is awarded annually to the one person from among all of LC's athletics programs who most excels as a student, athlete and representative of the Christian faith. Already accepted to LSU-Shreveport Medical school, she'll begin working towards a career in medicine this fall. Hixson has also been active in campus spiritual life and has dedicated her summers and free time to foreign mission trips. To date, she's gone to Nepal, Kenya and Ukraine. She worked as a tutor in LC's PASS (Program to Assist Student Success) office, where special needs students are given one-on-one help by their peers. Hixson was also a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta, an honors society for Pre-Med majors at Louisiana College.

Kelso (Jacksboro, TX), who majored in biblical studies with a 3.86 GPA, was named the ASC track athlete of the year after a strong showing at the ASC meet. He won the shot and discus and placed second in the javelin and third in the hammer at the ASC meet.

Allen (Katy, TX), who majored in kinesiology with a 3.64 GPA, was the TLU 2009-10 Female Scholar Athlete of the Year and the 2009-10 TLU Female Sportsmanship Award Winner. Allen was a four-year letterwinner with the TLU women's cross country and women's track and field teams. She was a three-time Academic All-ASC selection in both sports. Allen was also Distinguished Scholar-Athlete for the women's cross country team and the women's track and field team. She was a member of TLU's 2010 American Southwest Conference Championship Team. She placed seventh in the javelin at the 2010 ASC Championships.

All were named to the 2010 ASC Academic All-Conference Team.

ASC SPRING 2010 DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR-ATHLETE TEAM

(+Sport's Distinguished Scholar-Athlete)

BASEBALL