Two student-athletes outstanding in the classroom and leaders in athletics have been named as the 2025 Lone Star Conference Fred Jacoby Academic Athletes of the Year, announced Tuesday (June 24).
Women’s basketball standout
Grace Foster and baseball recordholder
Brevin McCool, both from Lubbock Christian University, are recipients of the LSC's top academic honor for the 2024-25 year. Foster is the third women’s basketball honoree while McCool is the sixth baseball player selected as an LSC Fred Jacoby Academic Athlete of the Year recipient. The pair are also the second and third LCU student-athletes to earn the Conference honor.
A senior criminal justice major, Foster
(Childress, Texas) was named 2025 College Sports Communicators NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Academic Team Member of the Year and a place on the CSC Academic All-America First Team. An LSC Scholar-Athlete Award recipient with a 4.0 grade-point average, Foster is a two-time LSC Academic Player of the Year, three-time LSC All-Academic Team pick, and twice named CSC Academic All-America First Team. She has been earned LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll citation in each of her eight semesters.
On the basketball court, Foster garnered All-America First Team honors from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) while leading LCU to a 32-5 record, Division II South Central Regional title and a berth in the Division II Championship Elite Eight. The 2025 LSC Player of the Year and D2CCA South Central Region Player of the Year averaged 20.2 points and 7.5 rebounds. Foster posted league-best .896 free throw and .409 three-point field goal percentages.
McCool
(Hobbs, N.M.), a senior majoring in biology with a 4.0 grade-point average, is a 2024-25 LSC Scholar-Athlete Award recipient and twice named LSC Baseball Academic Player of the Year. He was selected to the LSC Baseball All-Academic Team three times and garnered LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll recognition each semester at LCU.
The 2025 Division II Player of the Year pick by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and D2CCA, McCool put together a record-setting season in establishing the LSC career (61), single-season (31) and single-game (4) home run records. He was selected as LSC Player of the Year and garnered All-Conference First Team honors for a second consecutive season. McCool closed the year with a conference-best 84 RBI and 31 home runs powered by a.406 batting average.
Presented for the 18th year, the LSC Academic Athlete of the Year awards are named in honor of late LSC Commissioner Fred Jacoby. Recipients are determined by vote of the conference sports information directors from the 19 student-athletes selected as the Academic Athlete of the Year in their respective sport during 2024-25 seasons.
2025 LSC FRED JACOBY ACADEMIC ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Women: Grace Foster, Lubbock Christian (Basketball)
Men: Brevin McCool, Lubbock Christian (Baseball)
2024-25 LSC Academic Athletes of the Year, by sport
| Baseball |
Brevin McCool |
Lubbock Christian |
| Men’s Basketball |
Noah Pagotto |
West Texas A&M |
| Women’s Basketball |
Grace Foster |
Lubbock Christian |
| Men’s Cross Country |
Adam Whitehead |
DBU |
| Women’s Cross Country |
Lexi Maul |
West Texas A&M |
| Football |
Luke Schaffer |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
| Men’s Golf |
Exequiel Rodriguez |
Oklahoma Christian |
| Women’s Golf |
Libby Kilbride |
St. Mary's |
| Men’s Soccer |
Arthur Souza |
St. Edward's |
| Women’s Soccer |
Brooke Mullins |
UT Tyler |
| Softball |
Heidi Vortherms |
West Texas A&M |
| Stunt |
Kate Van Vessem |
DBU |
| Men’s Tennis |
Mattia Ghedin |
Lubbock Christian |
| Women’s Tennis |
Eva Schwartz |
Angelo State |
| Men’s Indoor Track & Field |
Romet Vahter |
West Texas A&M |
| Women’s Indoor Track & Field |
Blessing Akintoye |
West Texas A&M |
| Men’s Outdoor Track & Field |
Luke Holcombe |
West Texas A&M |
| Women’s Outdoor Track & Field |
Jazmin Ray |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
| Volleyball |
Adeline Ortman |
Angelo State |
ALL-TIME LSC FRED JACOBY ACADEMIC ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
| Women |
|
| 2025 |
Grace Foster, Lubbock Christian (Basketball) |
| 2024 |
Sam Schott, UT Tyler (Softball) |
| 2023 |
Miriam Zanovello, West Texas A&M (Track and Field) |
| 2022 |
Paxton Scheurer, Angelo State (Softball) |
| 2021 |
Summer Grubbs, UT Tyler (Track and Field) |
| 2020 |
Maddi Chitsey, Lubbock Christian (Basketball) |
| 2019 |
Greta Lazzarotto, Midwestern State (Tennis) |
| 2018 |
Kami Norton, Angelo State (Track and Field) |
| 2017 |
Kami Norton, Angelo State (Track and Field) |
| 2016 |
Katie MacLeay, Angelo State (Volleyball) |
| 2015 |
Ewa Zaborowska, Harding (Track and Field) |
| 2014 |
Laura Iwuchukwu, West Texas A&M (Volleyball) |
| 2013 |
Bailey Vrazel, Texas Woman’s (Softball) |
| 2012 |
Bailey Vrazel, Texas Woman’s (Softball) |
| 2011 |
Lauren Thedford, West Texas A&M (Volleyball) |
| 2010 |
Lauren Craig, Midwestern State (Softball) |
| 2009 |
Emily Brister, West Texas A&M (Basketball) |
| 2008 |
Emily Brister, West Texas A&M (Basketball) |
| Men |
|
| 2025 |
Brevin McCool, Lubbock Christian (Baseball) |
| 2024 |
Exequiel Rodriguez, Oklahoma Christian (Golf) |
| 2023 |
D.J. Delancy, Texas A&M-Kingsville (Track and Field) |
| 2022 |
D.J. Delancy, Texas A&M-Kingsville (Track and Field) |
| 2021 |
Alexander Vencel, West Texas A&M (Soccer) |
| 2020 |
Alex Shillow, Texas A&M-Commerce (Football) |
| 2019 |
Ezra Bagwell, Eastern New Mexico (Track and Field) |
| 2018 |
Dillon Vaughan, West Texas A&M (Football) |
| 2017 |
Turner Pool, Texas A&M-Commerce (Cross Country, Track and Field) |
| 2016 |
David Goggin, Angelo State (Baseball) |
| 2015 |
David Goggin, Angelo State (Baseball) |
| 2014 |
Dustin Vaughan, West Texas A&M (Football) |
| 2013 |
Dustin Vaughan, West Texas A&M (Football) |
| 2012 |
Zack Cohen, Angelo State (Baseball) |
| 2011 |
Kirk Jewasko, Incarnate Word (Baseball) |
| 2010 |
Brad Rutherford, Abilene Christian (Baseball) |
| 2009 |
Andrew Foshee, Central Oklahoma (Baseball) |
| 2008 |
Tyler Cooper, West Texas A&M (Basketball) |