West Texas A&M athletes
Blessing Akintoye and
Romet Vahter have been selected Academic Athletes of the Year and lead the 2025 Lone Star Conference Indoor Track and Field All-Academic Teams announced by the conference on Monday (March 3).
Akintoye headlines the 11-member women's All-Academic Team, while Vahter leads 11 standouts on the men's All-Academic Team.
Akintoye, a sophomore from Ogun State, Nigeria, has a 4.0 grade-point average in health sciences and is a three-time LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll award recipient. At the LSC Indoor Track and Field Championships (Feb. 21-22), Akintoye ran a 53.10 to win the 400m and set the LSC meet record in the 400m. That performance currently ranks No. 2 among NCAA Div. II 400m this season while her runner-up in the 200m lists seventh in Div. II (23.85).
Joining Akintoye on the women's indoor track and field all-academic team are Jacent Nyamahunge and Marie Schuler, Angelo State; Leslie Salas and Megan Williamson, DBU; Olivia Weider, Lubbock Christian; Katryna Hernandez and Jazmin Ray, Texas A&M-Kingsville; Juliane Frueh and Aerin Thompson, UT Tyler; and Temitope Adenuga, West Texas A&M.
Vahter, a junior from Kuressaare, Estonia, has a 3.933 GPA in finance, and has earned three LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll citations. A jumper, hurdler and heptathlete, Vahter won the long jump title at the LSC Indoor Track and Field Championships with a 7.26m jump (23'10") and finished fifth in high jump (1.92m/6' 3-1/2"). He is a two-time LSC All-Conference First Team award winner. Vahter currently holds NCAA Division II indoor top mark in the heptathlon (5532 pts.) and seventh-best long jump (7.50m, 24'7.25").
Vahter is joined on the men's indoor track and field all-academic team by Cole Paxton, Angelo State; Luke Brooker, Colton Howard and Adam Whitehead, DBU; Caden Nunn, Lubbock Christian; Hogan Heikkinen, St. Edward's; Django Segovia, Texas A&M-Kingsville; Brandon Arenas and Ashton Turner, UT Tyler; and James Dadzie, West Texas A&M.
Paxton and Whitehead are each three-time members of the LSC Men's Indoor Track and Field All-Academic Team while Turner is a two-time honoree.
The All-Academic Team, selected by vote of the LSC sports information directors, recognizes student-athlete accomplishments in the classroom and indoor track and field performance. To be eligible for the All-Academic Team ballot, individuals must maintain a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average and have reached sophomore athletic eligibility.
Both Akintoye and Vahter will be candidates for the 2024-25 LSC Fred Jacoby Academic Athlete of the Year awards announced in June.
2025 LSC INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD ACADEMIC AWARDS
WOMEN'S ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Women's Indoor Track and Field Academic Athlete of the Year: Blessing Akintoye, West Texas A&M
| Athlete |
Team |
Yr |
Field of Study |
Hometown |
| Jacent Nyamahunge |
Angelo State |
Sr. |
Sprt/Rec/Fitness Admin. |
Hoima, Uganda |
| Marie Schuler |
Angelo State |
Sr. |
Business Administration |
Langenfeld, Germany |
| Lesli Salas |
DBU |
So. |
Commercial Art |
San Angelo, Texas |
| Megan Williamson |
DBU |
Gr. |
Psychology |
Clyde, Texas |
| Olivia Weider |
Lubbock Christian |
Sr. |
Human Performance |
Henndorf, Austria |
| Katryna Hernandez |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
Gr. |
Business Administration |
Skidmore, Texas |
| Jazmin Ray |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
Gr. |
Business Administration |
Tyler, Texas |
| Juliane Frueh |
UT Tyler |
Jr. |
Economics |
Munich, Germany |
| Aerin Thompson |
UT Tyler |
Jr. |
Human Resources |
Cayuga, Texas |
| Temitope Adenuga |
West Texas A&M |
So. |
Accounting |
Delta State, Nigeria |
| Blessing Akintoye |
West Texas A&M |
So. |
Health Sciences |
Ogun state, Nigeria |
MEN'S ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Men's Indoor Track and Field Academic Athlete of the Year: Romet Vahter, West Texas A&M
| Athlete |
Team |
Yr |
Field of Study |
Hometown |
| Cole Paxton |
Angelo State |
Sr. |
Global Security Studies |
Brackettville, Texas |
| Luke Brooker |
DBU |
So. |
Politics, Philosophy & Econ |
New Waverly, Texas |
| Colton Howard |
DBU |
Jr. |
Business Marketing |
Katy, Texas |
| Adam Whitehead |
DBU |
Gr. |
Mathematics |
Gilbert, Ariz. |
| Caden Nunn |
Lubbock Christian |
So. |
Biology |
Rio Rancho, N.M. |
| Hogan Heikkinen |
St. Edward's |
So. |
Marketing |
Dallas, Texas |
| Django Segovia |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
Jr. |
General Studies |
Marble Falls, Texas |
| Brandon Arenas |
UT Tyler |
Jr. |
Kinesiology |
Houston, Texas |
| Ashton Turner |
UT Tyler |
Sr. |
Education |
Fort Worth, Texas |
| James Dadzie |
West Texas A&M |
Jr. |
Finance |
Akim Oda, Eastern, Ghana |
| Romet Vahter |
West Texas A&M |
Jr. |
Agribusiness |
Kuressaare, Estonia |