University of Memphis Athletics
Eight Tigers Earn Top Academic Honors in American
Aug 17, 2016 | Football, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Cross Country, Men's Tennis, Women's Golf, Women's Soccer, Women's Tennis, Women's Track and Field
Tigers claim eight of the 24 awarded honors to lead league.
MEMPHIS – On Wednesday, the American Athletic Conference announced the honorees for 2015-16 Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards. Of the 24 awards announced, eight of them were awarded to Memphis Tigers. No other school had more than three winners (Tulsa) and five schools had a pair of honorees. Two weeks ago, the Tigers earned a league-high five American Athletic Conference Team Academic Excellence Awards.
"We are fortunate to have student-athletes at the University of Memphis who understand the value of their educational experience and take full advantage of the opportunities they are afforded," Dr. Robert Baker, Director of the Center for Athletic Academic Services said. "Additionally, we are fortunate to have coaches, administrators, faculty and support staff at the University of Memphis who push our student-athletes to win in and out of the classroom."
The Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards are given to a student-athlete in each conference-sponsored sport based on academic credentials, athletic accolades and performances and volunteer service to the community. Student-athletes must have attained junior academic standing and have a minimum GPA of 3.00 or higher.
Profiles for the eight award winners are below:
Louis Asser, Men's Tennis
A three-year letterwinner who helped Memphis back to the NCAA Championships in his senior campaign, Asser played one doubles for the Tigers this season, helping Memphis make its fourth NCAA appearance in five seasons. A native of Australia, Asser was a multiple-time Tiger 3.0 Club honoree and is currently completing his degree in Sport & Leisure Studies and will graduate from Memphis in December.
Leighann Cabush, Women's Golf
Since coming to Memphis in 2013, Leighann Cabush has qualified for all 29 events as a Lady Tiger golfer. She comes in to her senior campaign with a 75.0 stroke average over 78 collegiate rounds and with 15 top 20, 13 top 10 and eight top five finishes. She has won individual medalist honors twice, including the FIU Pat Bradley Invitational last fall. A three-time WGCA All-Scholar honoree, Cabush is majoring in Finance at Memphis.
Carolina Carmichael, Women's Outdoor Track and Field
Carolina Carmichael graduates from Memphis as one of the most-decorated female track and field student-athletes. She holds the school's women's pole vault record for both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Carmichael, a five-time conference pole vault champion (one indoor; four outdoor), also earned four All-America honors in the event with her four NCAA Championships appearances. A 2016 spring graduate, she received an NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women's Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics.
Jake Elliott, Football
A three-time letterwinner for the Memphis football team, Jake Elliott was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award and earned second-team All-America honors from both the Associated Press and from the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Elliott enters his senior campaign as the school's record holder for consecutive PATs made (144) and his 324 career points scored is third overall behind just Stephen Gostkowski (369) and DeAngelo Williams (362). A marketing management major, he has been named to a number of pre-season all-conference teams and was named a preseason All-America honoree by Athlon Sports magazine. A three-time American Athletic Conference first team honoree, he is also the back-to-back American Special Teams Player of the Year heading in to 2016.
Elysia Masters, Women's Soccer
Elysia Masters graduated from Memphis in May with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree, Masters started all 19 matches for Memphis in 2015, helping the team to seven shutouts from her defender's position. As multiple-time Tiger 3.0 Club honoree, she started every match of the final three seasons of her Memphis career, including 21 matches as a sophomore and 19 as a junior. She appeared in 63 career games with 59 starts prior to completing her college eligibility last fall.
Stephen Tankersley, Men's Cross Country
As a senior in 2015-16, Stephen Tankersley competed despite having to push through several injuries. Career-wise, he had two top-50 finishes at the American Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships, including a personal-best 8k time of 25:07.20 at the 2013 event. Tankersley is a three-time conference all-academic performer, having earned honors from Conference USA in 2012-13 and The American in 2013-14 and 2014-15. He graduated with honors with a degree in mechanical engineering.
Anki Wind, Women's Tennis
Anki Wind was coming in to her junior season off of the program's first-ever NCAA Doubles appearance for a pair of Tigers and had worked her way in to the top of the Memphis singles lineup when a January injury derailed her spring dual season. Wind, who was an all-conference honoree in 2014, has recently returned to play and is expected back atop the Memphis lineup when the team reports later this month.
Avery Woodson, Men's Basketball
Avery Woodson appeared in 64 games with 45 starts over two seasons in Memphis before graduating in May. He scored 561 career points at Memphis and averaged 2.5 rebounds per game and finished his Tiger career as a 40.5 percent shooter from three-point range. A multiple-time honoree on the Dean's List and the Tiger 3.0 Club, he completed his degree in sport and leisure management in May.
2015-16 American Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award Winners
Baseball
Justin Montemayor, Houston
Two-time all-conference selection; earned a 4.00 GPA in 2015-16 academic year
Hunter Williams, Tulane
Named to NCAA Oxford All-Regional team; has a 4.00 cumulative GPA
Men's Basketball
Avery Woodson, Memphis
Averaged 9.6 ppg and was second in The American with 77 3-point field goals in 2015-16
Women's Basketball
Breanna Stewart, UConn
Three-time national player of the year; four-time NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player; won four NCAA titles
Men's Cross Country
Stephen Tankersley, Memphis
Registered two top-50 finishes at American Athletic Conference championships; magna cum laude graduate
Marc Scott, Tulsa
Two-time American Athletic Conference individual champion; two-time USTFCCCA All-America performer
Women's Cross Country
Emily Howard, UConn
Helped team to second-place finish at 2014 American Championship
Football
Jake Elliott, Memphis
AP and Walter Camp All-America selection and a finalist for the 2015 Lou Groza Award as the nation's top kicker
Men's Golf
Rigel Fernandes, USF
First team all-conference selection; helped team to two straight American Athletic Conference titles
Women's Golf
Leighann Cabush, Memphis
All-conference selection in 2014; registered three top-five finishes in 2015-16
Women's Rowing
Marissa Catalanotto, Tulsa
Member of runner-up second varsity eight at 2015 American Championship
Men's Soccer
Alex Cagle, Temple
Ranked fourth in The American in goals-against average in 2015 (1.18)
Women's Soccer
Elysia Masters, Memphis
Started all 19 games in 2015, helping team to seven shutouts; two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection
Softball
Erica Nunn, USF
American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2016; NFCA All-Region selection
Men's Swimming and Diving
Bryce Klein, SMU
American Athletic Conference individual champion in one-meter and three-meter diving in 2016
Women's Swimming and Diving
Bailie Monahan, East Carolina
Won two American Athletic Conference individual titles and was a six-time NCAA Championship qualifier
Jacqueline Keire, Cincinnati
Two-time Most Outstanding Female Swimmer at American Athletic Conference Championships; Seven-time conference champion
Men's Tennis
Louis Asser, Memphis
Played at No. 1 doubles for team that reached the NCAA tournament
Women's Tennis
Anki Wind, Memphis
NCAA doubles qualifier in 2015; all-conference selection in 2014
Men's Indoor Track and Field
Brian Barraza, Houston
2016 American Athletic Conference champion in 3,000-meter run
Women's Indoor Track and Field
Lilla McMillan, Tulane
Female Athlete of the Meet at 2016 American Athletic Conference Championship; conference champion in 200-meter dash
Men's Outdoor Track and Field
Tim Rackers, Tulsa
Runner-up in 5,000-meter run and 10,000-meter run at 2016 American Athletic Conference Championship
Women's Outdoor Track and Field
Carolina Carmichael, Memphis
Three-time American Athletic Conference champion in the pole vault; second team All-America
Women's Volleyball
Avery Acker, SMU
American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Setter of the Year in2015; CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year
"We are fortunate to have student-athletes at the University of Memphis who understand the value of their educational experience and take full advantage of the opportunities they are afforded," Dr. Robert Baker, Director of the Center for Athletic Academic Services said. "Additionally, we are fortunate to have coaches, administrators, faculty and support staff at the University of Memphis who push our student-athletes to win in and out of the classroom."
The Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards are given to a student-athlete in each conference-sponsored sport based on academic credentials, athletic accolades and performances and volunteer service to the community. Student-athletes must have attained junior academic standing and have a minimum GPA of 3.00 or higher.
Profiles for the eight award winners are below:
Louis Asser, Men's Tennis
A three-year letterwinner who helped Memphis back to the NCAA Championships in his senior campaign, Asser played one doubles for the Tigers this season, helping Memphis make its fourth NCAA appearance in five seasons. A native of Australia, Asser was a multiple-time Tiger 3.0 Club honoree and is currently completing his degree in Sport & Leisure Studies and will graduate from Memphis in December.
Leighann Cabush, Women's Golf
Since coming to Memphis in 2013, Leighann Cabush has qualified for all 29 events as a Lady Tiger golfer. She comes in to her senior campaign with a 75.0 stroke average over 78 collegiate rounds and with 15 top 20, 13 top 10 and eight top five finishes. She has won individual medalist honors twice, including the FIU Pat Bradley Invitational last fall. A three-time WGCA All-Scholar honoree, Cabush is majoring in Finance at Memphis.
Carolina Carmichael, Women's Outdoor Track and Field
Carolina Carmichael graduates from Memphis as one of the most-decorated female track and field student-athletes. She holds the school's women's pole vault record for both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Carmichael, a five-time conference pole vault champion (one indoor; four outdoor), also earned four All-America honors in the event with her four NCAA Championships appearances. A 2016 spring graduate, she received an NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women's Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics.
Jake Elliott, Football
A three-time letterwinner for the Memphis football team, Jake Elliott was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award and earned second-team All-America honors from both the Associated Press and from the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Elliott enters his senior campaign as the school's record holder for consecutive PATs made (144) and his 324 career points scored is third overall behind just Stephen Gostkowski (369) and DeAngelo Williams (362). A marketing management major, he has been named to a number of pre-season all-conference teams and was named a preseason All-America honoree by Athlon Sports magazine. A three-time American Athletic Conference first team honoree, he is also the back-to-back American Special Teams Player of the Year heading in to 2016.
Elysia Masters, Women's Soccer
Elysia Masters graduated from Memphis in May with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree, Masters started all 19 matches for Memphis in 2015, helping the team to seven shutouts from her defender's position. As multiple-time Tiger 3.0 Club honoree, she started every match of the final three seasons of her Memphis career, including 21 matches as a sophomore and 19 as a junior. She appeared in 63 career games with 59 starts prior to completing her college eligibility last fall.
Stephen Tankersley, Men's Cross Country
As a senior in 2015-16, Stephen Tankersley competed despite having to push through several injuries. Career-wise, he had two top-50 finishes at the American Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships, including a personal-best 8k time of 25:07.20 at the 2013 event. Tankersley is a three-time conference all-academic performer, having earned honors from Conference USA in 2012-13 and The American in 2013-14 and 2014-15. He graduated with honors with a degree in mechanical engineering.
Anki Wind, Women's Tennis
Anki Wind was coming in to her junior season off of the program's first-ever NCAA Doubles appearance for a pair of Tigers and had worked her way in to the top of the Memphis singles lineup when a January injury derailed her spring dual season. Wind, who was an all-conference honoree in 2014, has recently returned to play and is expected back atop the Memphis lineup when the team reports later this month.
Avery Woodson, Men's Basketball
Avery Woodson appeared in 64 games with 45 starts over two seasons in Memphis before graduating in May. He scored 561 career points at Memphis and averaged 2.5 rebounds per game and finished his Tiger career as a 40.5 percent shooter from three-point range. A multiple-time honoree on the Dean's List and the Tiger 3.0 Club, he completed his degree in sport and leisure management in May.
2015-16 American Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award Winners
Baseball
Justin Montemayor, Houston
Two-time all-conference selection; earned a 4.00 GPA in 2015-16 academic year
Hunter Williams, Tulane
Named to NCAA Oxford All-Regional team; has a 4.00 cumulative GPA
Men's Basketball
Avery Woodson, Memphis
Averaged 9.6 ppg and was second in The American with 77 3-point field goals in 2015-16
Women's Basketball
Breanna Stewart, UConn
Three-time national player of the year; four-time NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player; won four NCAA titles
Men's Cross Country
Stephen Tankersley, Memphis
Registered two top-50 finishes at American Athletic Conference championships; magna cum laude graduate
Marc Scott, Tulsa
Two-time American Athletic Conference individual champion; two-time USTFCCCA All-America performer
Women's Cross Country
Emily Howard, UConn
Helped team to second-place finish at 2014 American Championship
Football
Jake Elliott, Memphis
AP and Walter Camp All-America selection and a finalist for the 2015 Lou Groza Award as the nation's top kicker
Men's Golf
Rigel Fernandes, USF
First team all-conference selection; helped team to two straight American Athletic Conference titles
Women's Golf
Leighann Cabush, Memphis
All-conference selection in 2014; registered three top-five finishes in 2015-16
Women's Rowing
Marissa Catalanotto, Tulsa
Member of runner-up second varsity eight at 2015 American Championship
Men's Soccer
Alex Cagle, Temple
Ranked fourth in The American in goals-against average in 2015 (1.18)
Women's Soccer
Elysia Masters, Memphis
Started all 19 games in 2015, helping team to seven shutouts; two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection
Softball
Erica Nunn, USF
American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2016; NFCA All-Region selection
Men's Swimming and Diving
Bryce Klein, SMU
American Athletic Conference individual champion in one-meter and three-meter diving in 2016
Women's Swimming and Diving
Bailie Monahan, East Carolina
Won two American Athletic Conference individual titles and was a six-time NCAA Championship qualifier
Jacqueline Keire, Cincinnati
Two-time Most Outstanding Female Swimmer at American Athletic Conference Championships; Seven-time conference champion
Men's Tennis
Louis Asser, Memphis
Played at No. 1 doubles for team that reached the NCAA tournament
Women's Tennis
Anki Wind, Memphis
NCAA doubles qualifier in 2015; all-conference selection in 2014
Men's Indoor Track and Field
Brian Barraza, Houston
2016 American Athletic Conference champion in 3,000-meter run
Women's Indoor Track and Field
Lilla McMillan, Tulane
Female Athlete of the Meet at 2016 American Athletic Conference Championship; conference champion in 200-meter dash
Men's Outdoor Track and Field
Tim Rackers, Tulsa
Runner-up in 5,000-meter run and 10,000-meter run at 2016 American Athletic Conference Championship
Women's Outdoor Track and Field
Carolina Carmichael, Memphis
Three-time American Athletic Conference champion in the pole vault; second team All-America
Women's Volleyball
Avery Acker, SMU
American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Setter of the Year in2015; CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Women's Golf
Pole Vault
/ Women's Track and Field
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/ Football
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/ Women's Soccer
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Tennis
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