CONWAY, Ark._ University of Central Arkansas placekicker Hayden Ray was named one of two ASUN Football Scholar-Athletes of the Year on Wednesday.

    Ray was joined on the 2022 ASUN All-Academic Football team by teammates Jarrod Barnes and Chandler Caughron, giving the Bears a league-high three selections on the 12-man All-Academic squad.

    Ray, a record-setting senior from Bryant (Ark.) High School, shared the student-athlete of the year award with North Alabama's Sam Contorno. Ray has a 4.00 grade-point average while working on a master's degree in health promotion. Ray finished his UCA career as the all-time leader in field goals (43) and point-afters (174) and with the top PAT percentage (98.8 percent, 174 of 176).

    Barnes, a junior from Cabot (Ark.) High School and the University of Arkansas, has a 3.5 GPA in the MBA program. He was UCA's leading receiver with 40 receptions for 708 yards and five touchdowns. Barnes also returned 17 punts for a 15.1-yard average, including a pair of touchdown returns.

    Caughron, a sophomore from Evangel Christian High School in Memphis, Tenn., has a 3.79 GPA in exercise science. He led the ASUN in punting this season with a 42.4-yard average on 40 punts.