Maricia Spence of Angelo State and Nicholas Gonzales of St. Edward's have been selected as Lone Star Conference Outdoor Track and Field Academic Athletes of the Year, it was announced by the league office on Wednesday (May 15).
Spence leads 11 women named to the all-academic team while Gonzales headlines 11 on the men's all-academic squad.
A graduate student pursuing a master's degree in business administration, Spence carries a 4.00 grade-point average. She has earned LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll citations and was named the 2023-24 recipient of the ASU Kathleen Brasfield Female Athlete of the Year award. Spence posted NCAA Division II Top 10 marks during the 2024 outdoor season -- heptathlon, 100m hurdles and long jump – and holds the LSC Championships record in the heptathlon set in 2023.
Gonzales is a senior majoring in behavioral neuroscience with a 3.99 grade-point average. He is a three-time LSC All-Academic honoree in outdoor track and field (2022-23-24), earned LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll awards and was the 2023 LSC Cross Country Academic Athlete of the Year. Gonzales competed in the 800m and 1500m runs during the 2024 track and field season. He has SEU's top times in the 1500 (3:58.98) and mile (4:27.96).
Spence is joined on the women's outdoor track and field All-Academic team by four-time academic honoree Miriam Zanovello of West Texas A&M (2021-22-23-24); two-time honorees Amanda Chacon of DBU (2023-24) and Kiley Cummings of Lubbock Christian (2023-24); Anne DeJong, Cameron; Meadow Housman, DBU; Tamia Smith, Eastern New Mexico; Audrey Wistain, St. Edward's; Vitiana Robert, Texas A&M-Kingsville; Laiten Greeson, West Texas A&M; and Kiana Ortiz, Western New Mexico.
Joining Gonzales on the men's outdoor track and field All-Academic Team are two-time honorees Adam Whitehead of DBU (2023-24) and Nathan Karseno from Lubbock Christian (2023-24); Colton Howard, DBU; Timothy Frederick, Eastern New Mexico; Nathaniel Luna and Aiden Zingone, LCU; Gabriel Field, Texas A&M-Kingsville; Seth Andrade, UT Tyler; Joseph Oreva, West Texas A&M; and Ahren Thorson, Western New Mexico.
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 Athlete of Year Award and All-Academic Team are selected from the list of academically qualified individuals, with the league's sports information directors voting on the basis of both academic and athletic achievement.
2024 LSC OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD ALL-ACADEMIC AWARDS
Women's All-Academic Team
Women's Outdoor Track and Field Academic Athlete of the Year: Maricia Spence, Angelo State
Sorted alphabetically by institution.
| Name |
Yr. |
Team |
Major |
Hometown |
| Maricia Spence |
Gr. |
Angelo State |
Business Administration |
Christiana, Jamaica |
| Anne De Jong |
So. |
Cameron |
Psychology |
Netherlands |
| Amanda Chacon |
Sr. |
DBU |
Business Marketing |
Whittier, Calif. |
| Meadow Housman |
Jr. |
DBU |
Interdisciplinary Studies |
New Caney, Texas |
| Tamia Smith |
Gr. |
Eastern New Mexico |
Counseling |
Arlington, Texas |
| Kiley Cummings |
Jr. |
Lubbock Christian |
Criminal Justice |
Blackwell, Texas |
| Audrey Wistain |
Gr. |
St. Edward's |
Counseling |
Schertz, Texas |
| Vitiana Robert |
So. |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
Animal Science |
Tarbes, France |
| Laiten Greeson |
Gr. |
West Texas A&M |
Plant, Soil & Environ. Science |
Sublette, Kansas |
| Miriam Zanovello |
Gr. |
West Texas A&M |
Chemistry |
Chivasso, Italy |
| Kiana Ortiz |
Jr. |
Western New Mexico |
Art |
Tucson, Ariz. |
Men's All-Academic Team
Men's Outdoor Track and Field Academic Athlete of the Year: Nicholas Gonzalez, St. Edward's
Sorted alphabetically by institution.
| Name |
Yr. |
Team |
Major |
Hometown |
| Colton Howard |
So. |
DBU |
Marketing |
Katy, Texas |
| Adam Whitehead |
Sr. |
DBU |
Philosophy, Politics, Economics |
Gilbert, Ariz. |
| Timothy Frederick |
Sr. |
Eastern New Mexico |
Physical Education |
La Brea, Trinidad & Tobago |
| Nathan Karseno |
Sr. |
Lubbock Christian |
Mass Media |
Hebron, Texas |
| Nathaniel Luna |
So. |
Lubbock Christian |
Exer. Science/Pre-Phys.Therapy |
Brownfield, Texas |
| Aiden Zingone |
So. |
Lubbock Christian |
Criminal Justice |
Anchorage, Alaska |
| Nicholas Gonzalez |
Sr. |
St. Edward's |
Behavioral Neuroscience |
El Paso, Texas |
| Gabriel Field |
Sr. |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
History |
China Spring, Texas |
| Seth Andrade |
Jr. |
UT Tyler |
Management |
El Paso, Texas |
| Joseph Oreva |
Sr. |
West Texas A&M |
Studio Art |
Ughelli, Nigeria |
| Ahren Thorson |
Jr. |
Western New Mexico |
Mathematics |
Albuquerque, N.M. |