UT Tyler’s Zachary Tucker and Summer Grubbs were named Lone Star Conference Academic Athletes of the Year on Wednesday when league officials announced the LSC’s annual academic awards for men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.
Tucker picked up the men’s highest academic honor, while Grubbs, who was also the 2021 LSC Indoor Track and Field Academic Athlete of the Year, claimed the women’s top honor.
The Patriots Tucker and Grubbs led a group of 11 track and field stars on the LSC Men’s and Women’s All-Academic Teams, respectively.
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 based on both academic and athletic achievement.
On the men’s all-academic team with Tucker was Angelo State’s William Calvert; DBU’s Noah Metzger and Jared Gilley; Oklahoma Christian’s Jelte van Atten and Colten Brown; Texas A&M-Commerce’s Ryan Amador and Steven Sanchez; Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Danree Delancy and Dean Wallace; and West Texas A&M’s Briggs Wittlake.
Joining Grubbs on the women’s side was UTT teammate Natasha Carcano along with ASU’s Mia Van Oudtshoorn and Daisy Osakue; DBU’s Leslie Filorio; Eastern New Mexico’s Caroline Bachman; TAMUC’s Chelsea Cheek; and WT’s Valda Kabia, Nele Heinrich, Miriam Zanovello, and Madison Thetford.
Wittlake and Bachman earned a spot on the all-academic team for the second straight year.
Overall, 22 men and women were selected to the All-Academic teams.
2021 LSC OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD ALL-ACADEMIC AWARDS
MEN’S ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
| Player |
Team |
Yr. |
Major |
Hometown |
| William Calvert |
Angelo State |
Sr. |
Coaching, Sport, Rec. Fit. Admin. |
Sachse, Texas |
| Noah Metzger |
DBU |
Sr. |
Biblical Studies |
McKinney, Texas |
| Jared Gilley |
DBU |
Sr. |
Biology |
Tyler, Texas |
| Jelte van Atten |
Oklahoma Christian |
Jr. |
Mechanical Engineering |
Leiden, Netherlands |
| Colten Brown |
Oklahoma Christian |
So. |
Computer Engineering |
Boise City, Okla. |
| Ryan Amador |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
So. |
Kinesiology & Sports Studies |
Jonesboro, Ark. |
| Steven Sanchez |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
Grad |
Health, Kines., & Sports Studies |
New Braunfels, Texas |
| Danree Delancy |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
So. |
Biomedical Science |
Bethel Town, Jamaica |
| Dean Wallace |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
Sr. |
Kinesiology |
Geronimo, Texas |
| Zachary Tucker |
UT Tyler |
Sr. |
Biochemistry |
Perrin, Texas |
| Briggs Wittlake |
West Texas A&M |
Jr. |
Biology |
Amarillo, Texas |
LSC Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Academic Athlete of the Year: Zachary Tucker, UT Tyler
WOMEN’S ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
| Player |
Team |
Yr. |
Major |
Hometown |
| Mia Van Oudtshoorn |
Angelo State |
Jr. |
Chemistry |
Roodskool-Kroonstad, South Africa |
| Daisy Osakue |
Angelo State |
Sr. |
Communications |
Moncalieri, Italy |
| Leslie Filorio |
DBU |
So. |
Political Science |
Abilene, Texas |
| Caroline Bachman |
Eastern New Mexico |
Sr. |
Biology |
Grants, N.M. |
| Chelsea Cheek |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
Grad |
Counseling |
Baytown, Texas |
| Summer Grubbs |
UT Tyler |
Jr. |
Biology |
Gladewater, Texas |
| Natasha Carcano |
UT Tyler |
Jr. |
English |
Lufkin, Texas |
| Valda Kabia |
West Texas A&M |
Grad |
Business Administration |
Richmond, British Columbia |
| Nele Heinrich |
West Texas A&M |
Grad |
Business Administration |
Guben, Germany |
| Miriam Zanovello |
West Texas A&M |
Jr. |
Biochemistry |
Chivasso, Italy |
| Madison Thetford |
West Texas A&M |
Grad |
Business Administration |
Amarillo, Texas |
LSC Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Academic Athlete of the Year: Summer Grubbs, UT Tyler