The 2017 Lone Star Conference Male and Female Athletes of the Year included three league standouts as West Texas A&M’s Rellie Kaputin and Marshall Kasowski, and UT Permian Basin’s Daeshon Francis were recognized. The awards were announced Wednesday following a vote of the league’s sports information directors.
WT’s Kaputin earned LSC top female athlete recognition following an exceptional track and field career, while UTPB’s Francis and WT’s Kasowski shared the honor of top male athlete after tremendous basketball and baseball seasons, respectively.
Kaputin was the top female in front of Tarleton State volleyball standout Hailey Roberts in a close vote.
Francis and Kasowski claimed the men’s award just ahead of Texas A&M-Commerce track and field star Florian Obst.
Kaputin was named US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Women's Field Athlete of the Year after she won the triple jump and scored 21 points at the 2017 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships becoming the first Lady Buff in program history to win an individual title. The Papua New Guinea native finished second in the long jump and became the first Lady Buff to earn three All-America honors at the same indoor championship. Kaputin earned LSC Indoor Female Field Athlete of the Year acclaim after leading WT to the LSC Championship for the fourth straight year.
In the outdoor season, Kaputin was a member of the 2017 NCAA Division II National Champion Lady Buffs scoring a school-record 22 points, including a national title in the triple jump and a runner-up finish in the long jump. In the triple jump, her mark of 43-7 (13.28m) not only shattered her own school-record, but ranks second in NCAA Division II history. Kaputin earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors in the jumps and earned back-to-back conference titles in the long jump and triple jump and a runner-up finish in the high jump as WT claimed its second straight LSC Championship.
Francis led UT Permian Basin to a 26-6 record while capturing the LSC Men’s Basketball Championship and Tournament title in its first season in the league. The junior earned LSC Player of the Year and D2CCA South Central Region Player of the Year honors after scoring 18.2 points per game with a .559 field goal percentage.
The Indianapolis, Indiana native helped the Falcons lead the league and rank 13th nationally in scoring this season, averaging 88.3 points per game. Francis scored in double-figures in 30 of 32 games this season with a season high 34 points. The LSC Tournament MVP scored at least 20 points 11 times in 2016-17. Francis paced the team with 48 steals and was second in rebounding (6.6 per game) and assists (3.1).
Kasowski led the nation in strikeouts breaking the school and LSC record for K's in a season with 165 as the Buffs won the LSC Baseball Tournament Championship. He also topped the nation in strikeouts per nine innings at 15.91. Kasowski became the highest drafted player in WT Baseball history as the 400th overall pick in the 13th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Conroe, Texas native was named LSC Pitcher of the Year, first team all-LSC, NCBWA and CCA Region Pitcher of the Year and was a multiple All-America honoree in his first season in a Buff uniform. Kasowski, who is a finalist for the prestigious Brett Tomko Award, went 9-5 with a 2.22 ERA ranking third in the LSC and 34th nationally. He pitched a team-high 93.1 innings, allowing 50 hits, 27 runs (23 earned) and walked just 50 as opponents hit a team-low .156 against him. Kasowski tallied 11 games of double-digit strikeouts, including a school-record 17 on March 24.
Here is a closer look at the voting breakdown for each award, along with the honorees since 1999:
LSC MALE ATHLETE OF YEAR (Name, School, Year, Sport, Points): Daeshon Francis, UT Permian Basin, Jr., Men's Basketball, 12; Marshall Kasowski, West Texas A&M, Jr., Baseball, 12; Florian Obst, Texas A&M-Commerce, Jr., Track & Field, 11; Nils Fischer, Angelo State, Fr., Track & Field , 7; Akoakoa Paleka-Kennedy, Midwestern State, Sr., Football, 6; Brandon Jones, Texas A&M-Kingsville, So., Football, 5; Cody Bower, Cameron, Sr., Baseball, 3; Cody Burtscher, Tarleton State, Sr., Football, 3; Alex DeLaCruz, Eastern New Mexico, Sr., Baseball, 1; Jean-Laurent Pageault, Western New Mexico, Sr., Tennis, 0.
LSC FEMALE ATHLETE OF YEAR (Name, School, Year, Sport, Points): Rellie Kaputin, West Texas A&M, Sr., Track & Field, 20; Hailey Roberts, Tarleton State, Jr., Volleyball, 19; Nicole Nordie, Texas Woman's, Sr., Softball, 8; Mallory Blauser, Angelo State, Sr., Volleyball, 7; Vicky Back, Texas A&M-Commerce, Sr., Soccer, 7; Breezy McComas, Cameron, Sr., Softball, 3; Kaina Martinez, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Sr., Track and Field, 1; Lauren Frye, Eastern New Mexico, Sr., Volleyball, 1; Destinee Williamson, Midwestern State, Jr., Soccer, 0; Shannon Rich, Western New Mexico, Sr., Volleyball, 0.
LONE STAR CONFERENCE ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
| Year |
Male |
| 2017 |
Daeshon Francis, UT Permian Basin, Jr., Men's Basketball |
|
Marshall Kasowski, West Texas A&M, Jr., Baseball |
| 2016 |
Marqui Christian, Midwestern State, Sr., Football |
| 2015 |
Steve Naemark, Angelo State, Jr., Baseball |
| 2014 |
Dustin Vaughan, West Texas A&M, Sr., Football |
| 2013 |
Alex Carpenter, Abilene Christian, Sr., Golf |
| 2012 |
Nick Jones, Abilene Christian, Sr., Track & Field |
| 2011 |
Chase Larsson, Cameron, Jr., Baseball |
| 2010 |
Cyril Bouniol, Abilene Christian, Jr., Golf |
| 2009 |
Bernard Scott, Abilene Christian, Sr., Football |
| 2008 |
Sam Belt, Central Oklahoma, Sr., Basketball |
| 2007 |
Nicodemus Naimadu, Abilene Christian, Sr., CC/Track & Field |
| 2006 |
Danieal Manning, Abilene Christian, Football |
| 2005 |
Drew Beard, Southeastern Okla., Football |
| 2004 |
Cole Province, Central Oklahoma, Wrestling |
| 2003 |
Olan Coleman, Tarleton State, Football/Track & Field |
| 2002 |
Steve Kelly, Tarleton State, Football |
| 2001 |
Roberto Garza, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Football/Track & Field |
| 2000 |
Roberto Garza, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Football/Track & Field |
| 1999 |
Eddie Robinson, Central Oklahoma, Basketball |
|
|
| Year |
Female |
| 2017 |
Rellie Kaputin, West Texas A&M, Sr., Track & Field |
| 2016 |
Isabel Jimenez-Perea, Tarleton State, Sr., Golf |
| 2015 |
Brenna Moore, Midwestern State, Sr., Golf |
| 2014 |
Renee Erwin, West Texas A&M, Jr., Softball |
| 2013 |
Katie Hines, Texas Woman's, Jr., Softball |
| 2012 |
Elsamartina Apo, Angelo State, Sr., Softball |
| 2011 |
Carla Cooper, Tarleton State, Sr., Golf |
| 2010 |
Aisha Adams, Angelo State, Sr., Track & Field |
| 2009 |
Emily Brister, West Texas A&M, Sr., Basketball |
| 2008 |
Emily Brister, West Texas A&M, Jr., Basketball |
| 2007 |
Emily Brister, West Texas A&M, So., Basketball |
| 2006 |
Emily Brister, West Texas A&M, Fr., Basketball |
| 2005 |
Celeste Stevenson, West Texas A&M, Basketball |
| 2004 |
Michelle Hofmann, Angelo State, Softball |
| 2003 |
LaTasha Mosley, Angelo State, Track & Field |
| 2002 |
Brandi Robinson, Southeastern Okla., Basketball |
| 2001 |
Precious Thibodeaux, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Basketball/Track & Field |
| 2000 |
Sarah Butler, West Texas A&M, Volleyball |
| 1999 |
Tracy Barnes, Abilene Christian, Track & Field |