Angelo State University

Angelo State University Rams track and field student-athletes have swept the Lone Star Conference Men's Athletes of the Week honors for Week 5 of the outdoor season ending April 19. Competing at the Greyhound Open in Portales, N.M., sophomore Jonathan Wright of Coahoma won the pole vault with a vault of 16-11 (5.16 meters) on his way to being named LSC Men's Field Athlete of the Week. That mark is the second-highest in the LSC this season and ranks 12th in NCAA Division II. The Rams 4x100-meter relay team also placed first with a time of 39.75 to cumulatively claim LSC Men's Track Athlete of the Week honors. Team members are junior Bautista Diamante of San Angelo, sophomore Taylor Briggs of McKinney, freshman Francis Patanpatan of Hawley, and freshman William Opare of Accra, Ghana. Their time is third-best in NCAA D-II this season and broke the school record in the event that had stood since 1981. The Rams and Rambelles are hosting the ASU Invite April 22-23 before heading to the LSC Outdoor Championships in Canyon on May 7-9. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Austin Beck of Allen, the second baseman for the Angelo State University Rams baseball team, has been named the NCAA Division II South Central Region Hitter of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) for Week 12 of the season ending April 19. A redshirt senior, Beck helped power the Rams' offense in a four-game road sweep over Eastern New Mexico by pounding 12 total hits, including five doubles and a triple, and driving in eight runs. He also added three walks, four stolen bases and 11 runs scored - the most runs scored by a LSC player in a single series this season. Along the way, the MBA student also set new ASU team records for career hits (311) and career RBI (214). This marks his third NCBWA Regional Hitter of the Week honor this season. Earlier this week, Beck was also named ASU's 2026 Phil George Male Athlete of the Year and received the Male Academic Excellence Award at the annual Holland's Sports Banquet. Beck and the Rams will play their final regular-season series this weekend when they host Cameron University for a four-game set Friday throught Sunday. See more details at angelosports.com.

Austin Beck of Allen, the second baseman for the Angelo State University Rams baseball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Hitter of the Week for Week 12 of the season ending April 19. It's his third LSC weekly award this season. As the Rams swept a 4-game road series at Eastern New Mexico, Beck totaled 12 hits, eight RBI and 11 runs scored. His hits included five doubles and a triple, and he added three walks and four stolen bases. His 11 runs were the most scored by an LSC player in a single series this season. Along the way, the redshirt-senior MBA student also set new ASU career records for hits (311) and RBI (214). He will enter this weekend's final regular-season series leading the LSC in runs scored (56) and stolen bases (39). Beck and the Rams will host Cameron University to wrap up the regular season this weekend. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Thirteen Angelo State University Rams and Rambelles student-athletes received 2026 Holland's Awards that honor individuals for the best performances both in the classroom and on the field or court over the past academic year. As voted on by their teammates in their respective sports, Holland's Award winners exemplify what it means to be an ASU student-athlete in competition, in the classroom and in the community. The awards were handed out during the ASU Athletic Department's annual Holland's Sports Banquet on April 20. See more details at angelosports.com.

Angelo State University Rodeo Team members Caleb Lake and Samuel "Sam" Lewis have qualified to compete at the 2026 College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) to be held June 14-20 in Casper, Wyoming. Only the top three individuals in the final standings of each event in each of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association's 12 regions qualify for the CNFR. Lake, an animal science major from Bayfield, Colorado, qualified for the CNFR by finishing third in the steer wrestling standings at the end of the 2025-26 season in the NIRA Lone Star Region. Lewis, a border and homeland security major from Amarillo, qualified by finishing as the Reserve Champion in the tie-down roping standings in the Lone Star Region. Both Lake and Lewis wrapped up their 2025-26 NIRA regular seasons in style, with Lake as the Grand Champion of steer wrestling at the Tarleton Stampede Rodeo, and Lewis as both Grand Champion of tie-down roping at the San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo and Reserve Champion at the Tarleton Stampede. The ASU Rodeo Team was just formed in 2023, and Lake and Lewis are the second and third members of the team to qualify for the CNFR. See more details on the ASU Rodeo Team's Facebook page.

Austin Beck of Allen, the second baseman for the Angelo State University Rams baseball team, broke the program records for career hits and career RBI in the Rams' 9-4 victory of Eastern New Mexico University on April 19. As the Rams clinched a road series sweep over the Roadrunners, Beck went 4-for-4 with three RBI to pace the offense. His record-breaking hit came in the second inning, when he tripled down the right-field line to drive in the first run of the game. With the hit and RBI, he set new school records for both hits (311) and RBI (214). A redshirt-senior studying for his MBA, Beck already held numerous program records, including career runs scored, stolen bases, total bases and triples. He was also part of the Rams' 2023 national championship team, and his ASU career is liberally sprinkled with All-Lone Star Conference, All-South Central Region and All-America honors. See more details at angelosports.com.

Mia Clarke of Liverpool, England, a senior on the Angelo State University Rambelles golf team, has earned All-Lone Star Conference honorable mention for her performance during the 2025-26 season. An interdisciplinary studies major, Clarke won the individual title at the season-opening Swan Memorial in Colorado among her three top-10 finishes this year. She finished 10th at the Jack Brown Invitational to kick off the spring schedule in February, and she took fourth place at the Desert Invitational to cap off the regular season last week in Arizona. Clarke has also posted an average score of 76.2 per round, a 1.5-stroke improvement over last season. She is the first ASU golfer to earn All-LSC honors since 2023. Clarke and the Belles are competing at the LSC Golf Championships today through Wednesday in Rockwall. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Jon Dirk Ross of San Angelo, a senior music/voice major at Angelo State University, has earned a 2025-26 Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award from the Presser Foundation in Philadelphia that includes a $3,000 scholarship and the title of Presser Scholar. The award annually celebrates students, selected by their music faculty during their final year of study, "who have achieved a high level of music and academic excellence, demonstrated leadership and contributed to an inclusive community." ASU's music program was invited to join the Presser Foundation scholarship program in 2023, and Ross is the third ASU student to be named a Presser Scholar. It is the most prestigious undergraduate honor in music at Angelo State. Ross will graduate from ASU in May with a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance. He has performed with ASU's University Chorale and Chamber Singers, and he was one of the first students to join the ASU Opera Theater program when it was revived in 2023. He was a winner of the 2025 ASU Concerto and Aria Competition, and he has performed with the San Angelo Symphony and the Permian Basin Opera Company. Following his ASU graduation, Ross plans to pursue a professional opera career, and he has already been offered a Resident Artist position with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. See more details at angelo.edu/news.

Vasilissa Kupriianova of Ryazan, Russia, a sophomore on the Angelo State University Rambelles tennis team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Women's Singles Player of the Week for Week 9 of the season ending April 5. With the Belles tied 3-3 on the road at St. Mary's, Kupriianova won her singles match - 6-3, 6-2 - to clinch the match victory. It was the first time for the Belles to win at St. Mary's in team history, and it improved their record this season to 17-0. This marks Kupriianova's second LSC Singles Player of the Week honor this season, and she was also named a LSC Doubles Player of the Week for Week 7, along with her partner, freshman Danaiya Amangazhiyeva. The Belles are back in action this weekend with home matches against Western New Mexico and Sul Ross State. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

William Opare of Accra, Ghana, a freshman on the Angelo State University Rams track and field team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Men's Track Athlete of Week for Week 3 of the outdoor season. Competing at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, Opare won the 200-meter invitational, defeating the field that included NCAA Division I and professional athletes. His time of 20.48 seconds is the fastest time in NCAA D-II this season. The marketing major was also part of the Rams' 4x400-meter relay team that claimed the top prize in the event's prelims with a time of 3:06.24. Opare ran his leg in 44.60 to help the team post the fastest time in NCAA D-II this season by nearly two seconds. This is Opare's first LSC Athlete of the Week honor for the outdoor season and his second for 2026. He also holds the fastest time in NCAA D-II for the 400 meters this season. The No. 2 Rams and No. 14 Rambelles will be back in action this weekend at the War Hawk Classic in Abilene. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Representatives of Angelo State University's student-run Ram Media outlets brought home 11 awards after competing in various contests at the recent Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) Convention in Denton. The TIPA journalism/media competition consists of two parts - the Annual Contest that solicits submission of entries previously published or broadcast in the past academic year, and the Live Contests that take place between students attending the convention. Ram Media is a component of the Department of Communication and Mass Media. Outlets include the Ram TV television station, the Ram Page digital newspaper and the Ram Radio internet radio station, as well as Ram TV Sports that broadcasts live ASU intercollegiate sports on the FloSports Network. See more details at angelo.edu/news.

Benedetta Raggiotti of Perugia, Italy, a sophomore on the Angelo State University Rambelles tennis team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Women's Singles Player of the Week for Week 8 of the season ending March 29. As the Belles claimed home victories over Cameron University and No. 24 Midwestern State, Raggiotti won both of her singles matches in straight sets. She is now 14-0 in singles play this season, including 3-0 in LSC matches, and she is 11-3 in doubles matches with her partner, Margaux Rene. This is the psychology major's first LSC Singles Player of the Week accolade. Earlier this season, she earned LSC Doubles Player of the Week honors along with Rene. Raggiotti and the Belles are back in action this weekend on the road at St. Mary's in San Antonio. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Ashley Allison of San Angelo, a junior natural resource management major in the Angelo State University Honors Program, has been selected to participate in the 2026 Undergraduate Research on Ice Nucleation in Austria program through Virginia Tech University. Only five positions were available for the program that will run May 26 - July 31. Allison and the other student participants will conduct hands-on research in the Alps mountains and other areas in and around Vienna, Austria, while working with graduate students and faculty. They will also take part in cultural activities and training in German, ethics and professionalism. The program is funded by the National Science Foundation. According to the program website, there has been a resurgence in ice nucleation research within the last decade, largely because of the pressing need to understand the impact of aerosols on precipitation and climate. As a participant in the program, Allison will receive a $7,000 stipend and travel funding to Blacksburg, Virginia, and Vienna, Austria, as well as free housing and meals at both locations. See more details at angelo.edu.

Zoey Sifuentes of Lamesa, the third baseman for the Angelo State University Rambelles softball team, has been named to the NCAA Division II Player and Pitcher of the Year Watchlist by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). A freshman kinesiology major, Sifuentes is one of only 15 selectees from the South Central Region and 118 nationwide to make the watchlist. A three-time Lone Star Conference Player of the Week honoree this season, she leads all freshmen in NCAA D-II with 15 doubles and 42 RBI. She also leads the Belles in batting average (.438), hits (46), home runs (7) and slugging percentage (.819). The NFCA National Pitcher and Player of the Year honors will be announced on May 27, the day before the beginning of the NCAA D-II National Championships. Sifuentes and the No. 12 Belles are back in action this week against UT Permian Basin. See more details at angelosports.com and on the NFCA website.

Taylor Briggs of McKinney, a sophomore on the Angelo State University Rams track and field team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Men's Track Athlete of the Week for Week 2 of the outdoor season ending March 29. Competing at home in the ASU David Noble Relays, Briggs won gold in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 53.04, which ranks No. 12 in the nation. The finance major was also part of the 4x100-meter relay and 4x400-meter relay teams that clocked 39.88 and 3:08.69, respectively. The 4x100 time is third in the nation, and the 4x400 time is second. This is the first LSC weekly award of Briggs' ASU career. He and his teammates will compete at the Texas Relays in Austin this weekend. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Angelo State University Rambelles tennis players Danaiya Amangazhiyeva and Vasilissa Kupriianova swept the Lone Star Conference Women's Player of the Week honors for Week 7 of the season ending March 22. As the Belles went 3-0 in road matches against Emporia State, Shippensburg and Slippery Rock, Kupriianova went 3-0 in her singles matches without dropping a set. As a result, the sophomore marketing major from Ryazan, Russia, has been named the LSC Women's Singles Player of the Week. Kupriianova also paired with Amangazhiyeva, a freshman kinesiology major from Almaty, Kazakhstan, as a doubles team for the first time - and they also went 3-0 for the week without dropping a set. The pair has been named the LSC Women's Doubles Team of the Week. These are the first LSC weekly honors for both players. They will be back in action this weekend with home matches against Cameron and Midwestern State. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

William Opare of Accra, Ghana, a freshman sprinter on the Angelo State University Rams track and field team, has been named the 2026 NCAA Division II National Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The marketing major was the high-point scorer at the NCAA D-II Indoor Championships with 20.5 points after winning the national title in the 400 meters, placing second in the 200 meters, and anchoring the Rams' title-winning 4x400-meter relay team. He is the first ASU student-athlete to win a USTFCCCA Indoor Athlete of the Year award. On the same day as his national award, Opare was also named the Lone Star Conference Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. He won the 400 meters and 200 meters at the LSC Indoor Championships and was named the Outstanding Men's Track Athlete at the conclusion of the meet. Opare was also previously named the USTFCCCA's NCAA D-II South Central Region Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. See more details at angelosports.com and on the USTFCCCA website.

Angelo State University Rambelles basketball players Majik Esquivel and Taylor Grona have earned NCAA Division II Academic All-District honors from College Sports Communicators (CSC) for the 2025-26 season. To qualify, student-athletes must have at least a 3.75 cumulative GPA, be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, and have played in 90% or started in at least 66% of their institution's matches. Esquivel, a sophomore commercial aviation major from Lubbock, led the Belles and was second in the Lone Star Conference in scoring at 17.2 points per game. She was also named to the All-LSC first team and the D2CCA All-South Central Region second team. Grona, a sophomore animal science major from Fredericksburg, started all 27 games for the Belles, led the team in assists (73) and steals (50), and finished second in rebounds (137). She also averaged 10.2 points per game. The Belles finished the season 15-12 overall and 13-7 in the LSC, advancing to the LSC Tournament quarterfinals. See more details at angelosports.com.

William Opare of Accra, Ghana, a freshman sprinter on the Angelo State University track and field team, has been named the 2026 NCAA Division II South Central Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Opare was the men's high-point scorer at the 2026 NCAA D-II Indoor Championships in Virginia, earning 20.5 points to help lead the Rams to a fourth-place team finish. The marketing major won the 400 meters national title, placed second in the 200 meters, and anchored the title-winning 4x400-meter relay team. Both of the winning times were historic, as his 45.67 in the 400 meters ranks second all-time, and ASU's 3:07.22 in the 4x400 relay is the second-fastest in NCAA D-II history. Prior to the national meet, Opare won the 400 meters and 200 meters at the Lone Star Conference Indoor Championships and was named the LSC Outstanding Men's Indoor Track Athlete. Opare is also the first ASU student-athlete to win a regional indoor track and field athlete of the year award since the award's inception in 2016. See more details at angelosports.com and on the USTFCCCA website.

Four student-athletes on the Angelo State University track and field teams have been named Lone Star Conference Preseason Athletes to Watch heading into the 2026 outdoor season. For the Rams, sprinter William Opare of Accra, Ghana, and jumper Davyon Williams of Cuero made the LSC Men's Athletes to Watch list. During the 2026 indoor season, Opare won the NCAA Division II national title in the 400 meters, finished second in the 200 meters, and anchored the 4x400-meter relay team that also won the national championship. Williams is coming off the indoor season that saw him place second in the high jump at the LSC Indoor Championships. For the Rambelles, multi-sport athlete Kylie Frush of Glen Rose and sprinter Shackelia Green of Manchester, Jamaica, made the LSC Women's Athletes to Watch list. Both were members of the 4x400-meter relay team that finished 12th at the NCAA Indoor National Championships and were named to the All-America second team. The ASU teams officially kicked off the outdoor season this weekend at the Wes Kittley Invitational in Abilene. They will host the annual ASU David Noble Relays March 26-28. See more details on the LSC website.

Francis Patanpatan of Hawley, a freshman sprinter on the Angelo State University Rams track and field team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Men's Track Athlete of the Week for Week 1 of the outdoor season ending March 22. Competing at the Wes Kittley Invitational in Abilene, Patanpatan recorded three NCAA Division II provisional times as he placed second in the 200 meters and was part of the Rams' 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay teams that both took first place. His 21.00 in the 200 meters is the top mark in the LSC and fourt-best in the nation this season. The Rams' 4x100-meter relay time of 39.41 is tops in NCAA D-II this year, and their 4x400-meter relay time of 3:10.44 is second best in that event. This is the first LSC weekly award for Patanpatan at ASU. He and his ASU teammates will be at home this weekend to host the annual ASU David Noble Relays. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Nine Angelo State University track and field student-athletes have earned 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field All-South Central Region honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The top five individuals in each event from each region earned All-Region distinction, in addition to each member of the region's top three relay teams. Six Rams and three Rambelles earned a total of 11 All-Region accolades. See more details on the USTFCCCA website.

Angelo State University track and field student-athletes brought home two national titles and 12 All-America honors from the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships in Virginia Beach, Va. The ASU performances were highlighted by William Opare winning the men's 400 meters national title and the Rams 4x400-meter relay team of Opare, Rami Balti, Taylor Briggs and Bautista Diamante winning the national title. Opare also finished second in the 200 meters, and Balti finished fourth in the 400 meters. Each of the four was also named a first-team All-American as the Rams placed fourth in the overall standings with 33 points. For the Rambelles, the 4x400-meter relay team of Keagan Galmor, Lainey Jernigan, Shackelia Green and Kylie Frush placed 12th, with each member earning second-team All-America honors. Kamryn Williams placed 15th in the weight throw to all be named a second-team All-American. See more details at angelosports.com.

Eleven Angelo State University track and field athletes have received All-Lone Star Conference honors at the conclusion of the 2026 indoor track and field season. The ASU awards are highlighted by Rams freshman sprinter William Opare being named the LSC Outstanding Male Track Athlete after winning both the 200 meters and 400 meters at the LSC Indoor Championships. He was also named to the All-LSC first team along with junior thrower Kamryn Williams for the Rambelles, who won the women's weight throw LSC title. She was also named to the LSC All-Academic Team. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

A team of four Angelo State University undergraduate business students placed in the top eight out of more than 50 teams from universities across the U.S. in the Presentation Pro contest at the recent 2026 National Collegiate Innovation Championship in Nashville, Tenn. The Presentation Pro contest consisted of teams of up to five students that were tasked with making 10-minute, live pitch presentations for fictitious start-up companies in two categories: Own Company and Hypothetical Company. In the Own Company category, the ASU team pitched a venture idea for a company that places refrigerated lockers in high-density residential high-rise buildings as the final link in the growing grocery and food delivery industry. Competing against teams from primarily Division I universities, the ASU team included four senior management majors: Jeff Isenhart of San Dimas, Calif. Han Ly of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Abel Prince of Kingsland Anali Rivera of Del Rio This marked the first time an ASU team has competed in the National Collegiate Innovation Championship, which is a component of Baylor University's National Collegiate Business Championships program. See more details at angelo.edu/news.

Majik Esquivel of Lubbock, a sophomore guard on the Angelo State University Rambelles basketball team, has been named to the NCAA Division II All-South Central Region second team by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) for the 2025-26 season. A commercial aviation major, Esquivel led the Belles and ranked second in the Lone Star Conference in scoring at 17.2 points per game. She also led the Belles in minutes (899), three-pointers (60) and free-throw percentage (.818) while also posting 93 rebounds and 49 steals in 27 games. Earlier this month, she was named to the All-LSC first team, and she is now eligible for D2CCA All-America honors. The D2CCA all-region honors are voted on by the sports information directors from each region's schools and conferences. The D2CCA All-America selections will be announced later this month. See more details at angelosports.com.

Angelo State University Rams basketball players Jhordan Ryan and Jordan Crawford have earned All-Lone Star Conference recognition for their performances during the 2025-26 regular season. Ryan, a junior forward from St. John's, Montserrat, was named to the All-LSC third team after averaging 7.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. The kinesiology major was particularly good in the second half of the season, when over a 14-game stretch, he averaged 12.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Crawford, a senior guard from Ruston, La., earned All-LSC honorable mention after leading the Rams in minutes (29.3 per game), assists (119) and steals (41). The sociology major also averaged 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. The Rams finished the season at 17-14 overall and fell just two wins short of qualifying for the LSC Tournament. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Angelo State University Rambelles basketball players Majik Esquivel and Landry Morrow have earned All-Lone Star Conference recognition for their performances during the 2025-26 regular season. Esquivel, a sophomore guard from Lubbock, was named to the All-LSC first team after leading the Belles and ranking second in the LSC in scoring at 17.2 points per game. The commercial aviation major also ranked third in the LSC in 3-point field goal percentage (.308) and 3-pointers per game (2.2), while also chipping in 92 rebounds and 47 steals. Morrow, a senior guard from Ackerly, was named to the All-LSC third team after averaging 10.1 points per game and leading the Belles in rebounding at 5.4 per game. The health science professions major also added 59 assists and 38 steals. Esquivel and Morrow helped lead the Belles to the No. 6 seed in the LSC Tournament, and they will open tournament play against UT Tyler on Friday in Frisco. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Angelo State University's track and field teams will send 11 student-athletes to the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships March 13-14 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Rambelles qualified five student-athletes for nationals in two events, while the No. 9 Rams qualified six student-athletes in three events. The championships will be streamed live on NCAA.com. See more details at angelosports.com.

The Angelo State University Handball Club won three individual national titles and placed fourth in the Combined Open standings at the recent 73rd U.S. Handball Association (USHA) National Collegiate Championships at the U.S. National Handball Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Individually for ASU, Kimberly Hostetter won the Gold Medal in Women's B Singles, and Andrew Nunez won the Gold Medal in Men's C2 Singles. The ASU doubles team of Jacob Mitchell and Dylan Whitley entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed and won the Gold Medal in Men's A Doubles over the top-seeded team from Texas A&M University. Additionally, ASU's Israel Lopez Jr. was awarded a USHA Mardak Scholarship at the national tournament awards banquet. About 15 scholarships were awarded to full-time collegiate athletes who are teaching handball to other kids or students. Lopez was recognized for assisting with ASU beginner handball practices, instructing Physical Activity courses in handball as a graduate assistant, and participating in other club activities. "We are incredibly proud of our team and all of their individual achievements," said Head Coach Diarmuid Mulkerrins. "Nationals is the highlight of each year, and the players truly gave it their all and performed outstandingly across the board." See more details at angelo.edu/news.