FRISCO, Texas – New Orleans baseball student-athlete Alexander Saunier and East Texas A&M softball student-athlete Kasey Kuyrkendall have been awarded the 2025 F.L. McDonald Postgraduate Scholarships, the conference office announced Friday.
 
The F.L. McDonald Scholarship is the league’s ultimate academic honor for graduating student-athletes. The award is presented annually to one female and one male graduating student-athlete upon selection by the Southland Conference Faculty Athletic Representative Committee. The $5,000 scholarship must be applied to graduate study at an institution of the recipient’s choice.
 
The award was established in 1996 in memory of Dr. F.L. McDonald, a former president of Lamar University and 1999 Southland Hall of Honor inductee. McDonald was serving as Lamar's president in 1963 when the Southland Conference was established. He is considered one of the league's founding fathers.
 
Saunier and Kuyrkendall were chosen from a pool of fellow classmates and graduated student-athletes. Applicants must have at least a 3.75 GPA and have lettered at least two seasons at the nominating institution. Each recipient must enroll in a full-time graduate program within one year of receiving the award.
 
Alexander Saunier, New Orleans Baseball
Saunier, a captain on the baseball team, played in 97 games over two years at New Orleans, hitting .273 in 308 career at-bats. That resulted in 54 runs and 45 RBI for the Privateers' offense. He served as a member of both the Pre-Dental Society and Team Impact. Saunier completed his Biological Sciences major with a 4.0 GPA and plans to attend graduate school at the LSU School of Dentistry. 
 
Kasey Kuyrkendall, East Texas A&M Softball
Kuyrkendall graduated Summa Cum Laude with honors and a perfect 4.0 GPA, earning recognition on the Commissioner's Honor Roll three times. She appeared in 95 games and started 46 of those through three years with the Lions, serving as a team captain in two of those.

Kuyrkendall remained active off the field and outside the classroom as a member of the Southland Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and a member of the Chi Omega Sorority, fulfilling roles including recruitment assistant and treasurer. She will begin her pursuit of a master's in sports management at Baylor in the fall.