UT Tyler’s Zach Tucker and DBU’s Leah Lewis were named the 2019 Cross Country Academic Runners of the Year as the conference announced the league’s all-academic honors on Monday.
Both Tucker and Lewis were one of 10 runners recognized for their work on the course and in the classroom as members of the 2019 LSC All-Academic team. To be eligible for the All-Academic team, student-athletes must maintain a 3.30 cumulative grade point average. The All-Academic teams are voted on by the league’s sports information directors.
Tucker, a junior from Perrin, was named the LSC Men’s Academic Runner of the Year and has earned a 4.00 cumulative grade point average as a chemistry major at UTT. He posted a career-best 29:31.1 in the 8-kilometer Chile Pepper Festival earlier this year.
Tucker was joined on the men’s team by Cameron’s Steffen Riestenpatt, Western New Mexico’s Michael Anzures, West Texas A&M’s Briggs Wittlake and Oklahoma Christian’s Jake Weith.
Lewis, a senior from College Station, was named the LSC Women’s Academic Runner of the Year and has posted a 3.93 cumulative grade point average as an education major at DBU. This season Lewis posted three top 20 finishes including a second-place finish at the LSC Cross Country Championships in Silver City, N.M. over the weekend. She also picked up an individual win at the East Texas Cross Country Shootout earlier this year.
Lewis led the women’s team which also includes UAFS’ Cami Hedstrom, DBU’s Leslie Filorio and Rylee Cristan and St. Edward’s Cecilia Hinz.
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
| Runner |
Team |
Year |
Major |
Hometown |
| Steffen Riestenpatt |
Cameron |
Jr. |
Biology |
Bissendorf, Germany |
| Jake Weith |
Oklahoma Christian |
Sr. |
Accounting/Finance |
Arlington, Texas |
| Zach Tucker |
UT Tyler |
Jr. |
Chemistry |
Perrin, Texas |
| Michael Anzures |
Western New Mexico |
Jr. |
Kinesiology |
Seboyeta, N.M. |
| Briggs Wittlake |
West Texas A&M |
Jr. |
Biology |
Amarillo, Texas |
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Academic Runner of the Year: Zach Tucker, UT Tyler
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
| Runner |
Team |
Year |
Major |
Hometown |
| Leah Lewis |
DBU |
Sr. |
Education |
College Station, Texas |
| Leslie Filorio |
DBU |
So. |
History |
Abilene, Texas |
| Rylee Cristan |
DBU |
So. |
Kinesiology |
Keller, Texas |
| Cecelia Hinz |
St. Edward's |
Sr. |
Interdisciplinary Studies |
San Jose, Calif. |
| Cami Hedstrom |
UAFS |
Sr. |
Middle Childhood Education |
Bentonville, Ark. |
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Academic Runner of the Year: Leah Lewis, DBU