Texas A&M-Commerce’s Turner Pool and Angelo State’s Kami Norton were named Lone Star Conference Academic Athletes of the Year on Friday when league officials announced the LSC's annual academic awards for men's and women's indoor track and field.
Pool led a group of 11 standouts on the LSC Men’s All-Academic team, while Norton headlined a group of 11 on the LSC Women’s All-Academic team.
A junior finance and accounting major from Frisco, Texas, Pool broke the A&M-C record in the 5,000 meters at the Dunamis Classic this year with a time of 15:03.54. This is his second academic honor as he earned 2016 LSC Men’s Cross Country Academic Runner of the Year acclaim as well.
Norton, a junior kinesiology major from Albany, Texas, is an automatic qualifier in the pentathlon with the top score in Division II with 3,934 points.
To be eligible for LSC academic honors, student-athletes must carry at least a 3.30 grade point average and have reached sophomore status both athletically and academically. The Academic Player of Year award and All-Academic Team are selected from the list of academically qualified players, with the league's sports information directors voting on the basis of both academic and athletic achievement.
Joining Pool on the men's all-academic team was teammate Chase Graham, West Texas A&M’s Zach Daniel, Jacob Norris and Blake Whalen; Eastern New Mexico's Colby Bagwell; Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Christian Garcia; ASU’s Jacob Reid and Harry Maslen; Lubbock Christian’s Josh Ybarra; and Tarleton State’s Cade Hitzfeld.
On the women's team with Norton was fellow Rambelle Morgan Rodgers; Midwestern State’s Stefanie Blaine; ENMU’s Melina Gryschka; LCU’s Journee Cotton; TAMUK’s Deana Richardson, Kaina Martinez and Mariah Noyola; WT’s Jasmine Pitts and Victoria Rausch; and A&M-C’s Alexandra VanSickle.
Overall, 22 men and women were selected to the All-Academic teams including a three-time selection (Daniel) and six repeat picks (Pool, Hitzfield, Norris, Pitts, Martinez, Rodgers).
2017 LSC INDOOR TRACK & FIELD ALL-ACADEMIC AWARDS
MEN'S ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
| Player |
Team |
Yr. |
Major |
Hometown |
| Turner Pool |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
Jr. |
Finance / Accounting |
Frisco, Texas |
| Chase Graham |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
Sr. |
Technology Management |
Springtown, Texas |
| Zach Daniel |
West Texas A&M |
Sr. |
Sports Management (Master's) |
Crane, Texas |
| Colby Bagwell |
Eastern New Mexico |
So. |
Electronic Engineering |
Clayton, NM |
| Jacob Norris |
West Texas A&M |
Sr. |
Sport and exercise science |
Forney, Texas |
| Christian Garcia |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
Grad. |
Kinesiology |
Eagle Pass, Texas |
| Jacob Reid |
Angelo State |
Jr. |
Exercise Science |
Wall, Texas |
| Josh Ybarra |
Lubbock Christian |
So. |
Business Administration |
San Antonio, Texas |
| Blake Whalen |
West Texas A&M |
Sr. |
Accounting |
Dubuque, Iowa |
| Harry Maslen |
Angelo State |
So. |
Chemistry |
West Yorkshire, Great Britain |
| Cade Hitzfeld |
Tarleton State |
Jr. |
Engineering |
Hico, Texas |
LSC Men’s Indoor Track & Field Academic Player of the Year: Turner Pool, Texas A&M-Commerce
WOMEN'S ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
| Player |
Team |
Yr. |
Major |
Hometown |
| Kami Norton |
Angelo State |
Jr. |
Kinesiology |
Albany, Texas |
| Stefanie Blaine |
Midwestern State |
So. |
Chemistry |
Arlington, Texas |
| Melina Gryschka |
Eastern New Mexico |
Sr. |
Business |
Garbsen, Germany |
| Journee Cotton |
Lubbock Christian |
Jr. |
English & History |
Alamogordo, N.M. |
| Morgan Rodgers |
Angelo State |
Jr. |
Nursing |
Hamlin, Texas |
| Deana Richardson |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
So. |
Biology |
San Antonio, Texas |
| Jasmine Pitts |
West Texas A&M |
Sr. |
Psychology |
Midlothian, Texas |
| Kaina Martinez |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
Grad |
Communications |
Seine Bight, Belize |
| Victoria Rausch |
West Texas A&M |
So. |
International Business |
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg |
| Alexandra VanSickle |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
So. |
Human Performance |
Winfield, Kan. |
| Mariah Noyola |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
Jr. |
Management |
Harlingen, Texas |
LSC Women’s Indoor Track & Field Academic Player of the Year: Kami Norton, Angelo State