FRISCO, Texas – The Southland Conference announced the 2019 Men's and Women's Student-Athletes of the Year on Thursday. In addition to the student-athletes of the year, the conference office also named the first and second teams for academic all-conference. Jaron Hamilton, Gracie Hyde, and Erin Woodward each received a second-team nod based on voting throughout the conference.
 
To be nominated, each nominee must have 1) a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) through the semester prior to the sports' championship; 2) completed at least ONE full academic year at the nominating institution prior to the season in which the nomination occurs (true freshmen and ineligible athletic transfers are not eligible); and 3) participated in at least 50 percent of the team's competitions during the most recently completed season.
 
Southland Conference All-Academic Teams are voted upon by a head coach, sports information director and academic/compliance staff member from each school. Student-Athletes of the Year are voted upon by an awards committee which consists of one administrator from each member school. Voting for one's own athletes is not permitted.
 
Hamilton led the Bears in three of the four meets he competed in and included one victory at the Little Rock Invitational. He added a personal-best time at the Southland Conference Championships with an effort of 24:55.1 and placed 20th. Hamilton is an exercise science major with a cumulative GPA of 3.82.
 
After the duo of Hyde and Woodward earned Second-Team All-SLC at the conference meet, they both were tabbed with Second-Team All-SLC Academic honors.
 
Woodward placed seventh at the conference meet with a career-best time of 21:40.9 for the fourth-best time in program history. She added a personal-best run of 14:47.4 at the UCA XC Challenge on the 4K course and posted the fastest time on a 5K course at the John McNichols Invitational with a mark of 18:28.8. She led UCA in four of the six races this season. Woodward is a health sciences pre-physical therapy major with a cumulative GPA of 4.0.
 
Hyde finished the conference championships in eighth place with the best time of her career with an effort of 21:44.1 on the 6K course, which is the fifth-fastest mark in UCA history. She picked up her second second-team all-conference accolade. She clocked a personal-best mark of 14:32.1 with an individual victory on the 4K course at the UCA XC Challenge in the first meet of the year. She added a season-best run on the 5K course at the John McNichols Invitational where she produced a time of 18:20.3. She led UCA in two meets on the year. She has a 4.0 GPA and is an exercise science major.
 
From the Coach – Associate Head Coach Beau Theriot
"I'm very proud of Jaron, Erin, and Gracie. They've been examples of the perfect student-athletes. Their hard work and dedication in the classroom, as well as on the course, has been on full display this season. It is a well-deserved honor. I'm excited for them!"
 
Men's Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Year: Jordan Rowe, Lamar
Men's All-Academic First Team
Kevin Kipkosgei – Abilene Christian
Matt Arnold – Lamar
Jack Gooch – Lamar
Jordan Rowe – Lamar
Isaac Vargas – A&M-Corpus Christi
All-Academic Second Team
Colton Gates – Abilene Christian
Conner Miller – Abilene Christian
Jaron Hamilton – UCA
Austin Zirkel – Sam Houston State
Marek Spriesterbach – A&M-Corpus Christi
 
Women's Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Year: Kelsey Ramirez, Stephen F. Austin
Women's All-Academic First Team
Briahna Gerlach – Abilene Christian
Carnley Graham – Abilene Christian
Julie Emmerson – Lamar
Arina Kleshchukova – New Orleans
Kelsey Ramirez – SFA
All-Academic Second Team
Gracie Hyde – UCA
Erin Woodward – UCA
Alia Henderson – UIW
Katy Whiteoak – Lamar
Meredith Clayton - SFA
 
Follow the Bears
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram