2019 Southland Track & Field Academic All-Conference Teams Announced
FRISCO, Texas – Abilene Christian’s Ryan Cleary and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Sashane Hanson are the 2019 Southland Conference Outdoor Track & Field Student-Athletes of the Year, the league announced Wednesday along with its academic all-conference teams. Southland yearly awards are presented by
Ready Nutrition.
Cleary, a graduate student, holds a 3.80 grade-point average (GPA) as an accounting major while competing in distance races for the Wildcats. The Prosper, Texas, native claimed a trio of medals throughout ACU’s 2019 indoor and outdoor seasons. He began with a silver medal in the mile event at the Southland Indoor Championships before claiming a first-place finish in the steeplechase and a third-place finish in the 1,500m run at the Southland Outdoor Championships. Cleary concluded his season competing in the steeplechase at the 2019 NCAA West Preliminary Championships in Sacramento, Calif. (May 23-25), missing out on a trip to the national meet by two places. His work on the track is matched by his efforts in the classroom as he was also a member of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society.
Hanson pieced together an impressive senior campaign for the Islanders, taking gold medals in the high jump at both the 2019 Southland Indoor and Outdoor Championships. The Montego Bay, Jamaica, native also tabbed a first-place finish in the pentathlon at the Southland Indoor Championships and second-place finish in the heptathlon at the outdoor championships. Hanson capped her career with a 16th place finish in the high jump at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, earning Second Team All-America honors. She is now the second female and fourth student-athlete in Texas A&M-Corpus Christi school history to garner All-America accolades. As a biomedical science major, Hanson registers a 3.42 GPA.
The men’s all-academic roster is comprised of 29 spots, with Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word and Sam Houston State leading the way with five selections each. Central Arkansas, Lamar, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi followed up with three honorees apiece. Stephen F. Austin accounted for two selections, while Houston Baptist (1), McNeese (1) and Southeastern Louisiana (1) rounding out the roster.
On the 38-member women’s all-academic team, ACU leads the way with six honorees, followed closely by Incarnate Word and McNeese who each have five selections. Central Arkansas, Lamar, Northwestern State, Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi all tied for third with three picks apiece. Houston Baptist, Sam Houston State and Southeastern Louisiana each hold two spots, while Nicholls rounds out the team with one selection.
In total, 10 student-athletes across both teams earned a flawless 4.00 GPA. HBU’s Christos Zachariou (psychology), UIW’s Andrew Leuthner (accounting) and SFA’s Cord Neal (animal science) accomplished the feat on the men’s team.
UCA’s Erin Woodward (health sciences – PT), HBU’s Ana Kriletic (psychology), McNeese’s Alex Eykelbosch (exercise physiology) NSU’s Brook Petkovich (health and exercise science), SFA’s Kelsey Ramirez (kinesiology) and Taryn Surratt (music) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Kendall Rodriguez (accounting) all possess a perfect GPA on the women’s side.
Southland Conference Track & Field All-Academic Teams are selected by a 50-percent rule. Of the total number of nominees, half are named all-academic selections. Honorees are nominated and voted upon by head coaches, sports information directors, and academic staff members from each university. Student-Athletes of the Year are voted on by the Southland awards committee, consisting of one administrator from each member school.
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Student-Athlete of the Year: Ryan Cleary, Abilene Christian
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Student-Athlete of the Year: Sashane Hanson, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
2019 Southland Conference Men’s Track & Field All-Academic Team
| Name |
School |
Cl. |
GPA |
Major |
| Ryan Simmons3 |
Abilene Christian |
Gr. |
3.86 |
Accounting |
| Ryan Cleary* |
Abilene Christian |
Gr. |
3.80 |
Accounting |
| Blaze Brownlow*2 |
Abilene Christian |
Sr. |
3.74 |
Finance |
| Kai Schmidt*2 |
Abilene Christian |
Gr. |
3.62 |
Accounting |
| Ryan Linton* |
Abilene Christian |
Sr. |
3.00 |
Nursing |
| Markus Schwiekert* |
Central Arkansas |
Sr. |
3.90 |
Marketing |
| Jaron Hamilton |
Central Arkansas |
Jr. |
3.82 |
Exercise Science |
| Jared Hamilton |
Central Arkansas |
Jr. |
3.68 |
Exercise Science |
| Christos Zachariou |
Houston Baptist |
Jr. |
4.00 |
Psychology |
| Andrew Leuthner |
Incarnate Word |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Accounting |
| Jordan Cherin |
Incarnate Word |
Jr. |
3.96 |
Computer Information Systems |
| Garett Cortez*3 |
Incarnate Word |
Sr. |
3.86 |
Sports Management |
| Rodney Littlejohn*2 |
Incarnate Word |
Sr. |
3.45 |
Kinesiology |
| Deion Hardy |
Incarnate Word |
Sr. |
3.10 |
Business |
| Jamie Crowe* |
Lamar |
Gr. |
3.77 |
Kinesiology |
| Matt Arnold* |
Lamar |
Gr. |
3.66 |
Kinesiology |
| Webster Slaughter* |
Lamar |
So. |
3.38 |
Communications |
| Nemanja Koviljac2 |
McNeese |
Jr. |
3.97 |
Engineering |
| Michael Nichols |
Sam Houston State |
Gr. |
3.50 |
Sports Management |
| Tyler Adams*4 |
Sam Houston State |
Sr. |
3.48 |
Engineering Technology |
| Joshua Hernandez*2 |
Sam Houston State |
Sr. |
3.40 |
Kinesiology |
| Clayton Fritsch |
Sam Houston State |
Jr. |
3.17 |
Agriculture Business |
| Aaron Akens* |
Sam Houston State |
Sr. |
3.10 |
Engineering Technology and Physics |
| Gerald Coleman |
Southeastern Louisiana |
Jr. |
3.60 |
Sports Management |
| Cord Neal* |
Stephen F. Austin |
So. |
4.00 |
Animal Science |
| Drake Murphy* |
Stephen F. Austin |
Sr. |
3.31 |
Kinesiology |
| Bjoern Adden |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Jr. |
3.96 |
Business Management |
| Colton Cohea |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Jr. |
3.62 |
Mechanical Engineering |
| Logan Robinson |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Jr. |
3.50 |
Kinesiology |
2019 Southland Conference Women’s Track & Field All-Academic Team
| Name |
School |
Cl. |
GPA |
Major |
| Carnley Graham3 |
Abilene Christian |
Sr. |
3.89 |
Nursing |
| Taylor Posey |
Abilene Christian |
Sr. |
3.83 |
Nursing |
| Irene Akwitti2 |
Abilene Christian |
Sr. |
3.77 |
Nursing |
| Annina Brandenburg* |
Abilene Christian |
Sr. |
3.70 |
Marketing |
| Briahna Gerlach |
Abilene Christian |
Jr. |
3.53 |
Social Work |
| Megan Kirby |
Abilene Christian |
So. |
3.00 |
Social Studies |
| Erin Woodward |
Central Arkansas |
Jr. |
4.00 |
Health Sciences – PT |
| Hannah Noble2 |
Central Arkansas |
Sr. |
3.86 |
Marketing |
| Ajah Criner |
Central Arkansas |
Jr. |
3.26 |
Exercise Science |
| Ana Kriletic*3^ |
Houston Baptist |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Psychology |
| Kaitlin Smith |
Houston Baptist |
So. |
3.94 |
Kinesiology |
| Danielle Martinez3 |
Incarnate Word |
Sr. |
3.87 |
Marketing |
| Dominique Allen* |
Incarnate Word |
Jr. |
3.67 |
Rehabilitative Sciences |
| Deja Keys* |
Incarnate Word |
Jr. |
3.40 |
Criminal Justice |
| Erekha Sebastion |
Incarnate Word |
So. |
3.40 |
Interdisciplinary Studies |
| Sarea Alexander*2 |
Incarnate Word |
Sr. |
3.08 |
English |
| Katie Buckley |
Lamar |
Gr. |
3.88 |
Kinesiology |
| Migle Muraskaite* |
Lamar |
So. |
3.50 |
Exercise Science |
| Thai Williams* |
Lamar |
Sr. |
3.03 |
Kinesiology |
| Alex Eykelbosch* |
McNeese |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Exercise Physiology |
| Grace McKenzie2 |
McNeese |
Sr. |
3.75 |
Exercise Science |
| Alanna Arvie*2 |
McNeese |
Jr. |
3.47 |
Biology (Pre-Med) |
| Gladys Jerotich |
McNeese |
Sr. |
3.27 |
Basic Studies |
| Aleyah Donald |
McNeese |
Jr. |
3.15 |
Criminal Justice |
| Callie Scull |
Nicholls |
Sr. |
3.90 |
Biology/Pre-Med |
| Brooke Petkovich |
Northwestern State |
Jr. |
4.00 |
Health and Exercise Science |
| Jasmyn Steels2 |
Northwestern State |
Jr. |
3.62 |
Psychology |
| Kelsey Frank* |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
3.07 |
Social Work |
| Halie Daniel2 |
Sam Houston State |
Sr. |
3.97 |
Criminal Justice |
| Jamie Eckford2 |
Sam Houston State |
Sr. |
3.33 |
Health Sciences |
| Grace Walford |
Southeastern Louisiana |
Jr. |
3.83 |
Elementary Education |
| Ashley Davis* |
Southeastern Louisiana |
Jr. |
3.20 |
Criminal Justice |
| Kelsey Ramirez* |
Stephen F. Austin |
So. |
4.00 |
Kinesiology |
| Taryn Surratt2 |
Stephen F. Austin |
Jr. |
4.00 |
Music |
| Jillian Turner |
Stephen F. Austin |
Sr. |
3.50 |
Kinesiology |
| Kendall Rodriguez |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Accounting |
| Sierra Pruitt |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Jr. |
3.55 |
Psychology |
| Sashane Hanson*3 |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Sr. |
3.42 |
Biomedical Science |
*
Automatic selection
2 Two-time all-academic selection
3 Three-time all-academic selection
^ Google Cloud Academic All-District selection