Angelo State University

Angelo State University Rambelles softball players Laylonna Applin of Stamford and Cheyenne Floyd of Liberty Hill have been named to the 2025 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Player and Pitcher of the Year Watch List heading into the second half of the season. Applin, a sophomore infielder, is batting .476 this season and leads the Lone Star Conference in slugging percentage (.981), OPS (1.536) and doubles (13). She is also second in the LSC in hits (50), home runs (10), RBI (43) and stolen bases (15). The health science professions major has only struck out six times in 118 plate appearances. Floyd, a senior pitcher, is 14-5 this season with a 1.74 ERA and one save. She has thrown four shutouts and two no-hitters, and she has notched 96 strikeouts in 88.2 innings, holding opponents to a .175 batting average. The coaching, sport, recreation and fitness administration student was a NFCA All-American last season. The NFCA Player and Pitcher of the Year winners will be announced May 30. See more details at angelosports.com and on the NFCA website.

Josh Body of Abilene, a senior on the Angelo State University Rams track and field team, has been named the 2025 Lone Star Conference Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year. Body claimed the national title in the triple jump at the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships in Indianapolis to help lead the Rams to a top 10 finish. His leap of 15.38 meters (50-5.5) took him to the top of the podium and earned him first-team All-America honors. The psychology major also earned All-LSC honors and was named to the USTFCCCA All-South Central Region Team. In the early part of the current outdoor season, Body already ranks in the top 10 in NCAA D-II. He leapt 15-16 meters to win the triple jump at the Wes Kittley Invitational in Abilene, also earning a NCAA D-II provisional mark. Body and the Rams continue their outdoor season later this week at the Texas Relays in Austin. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Angelo State University student-athletes Solomon Odonkor of Accra, Ghana, and Oleg Ananev of Irkutsk, Russia, have been named Lone Star Conference Track & Field Athletes of the Week for Week 1 of the outdoor season ending March 23. Odonkor was named LSC Men's Track Athlete of the Week after he broke the ASU records in both the 100 meters and 200 meters to win both events at the Wes Kittley Invitational in Abilene. The senior kinesiology major posted times of 10.05 in the 100 meters and 20.39 in the 200 meters, which both lead the LSC this season. He broke ASU records that had been in place since the early 1980s. Ananev was named LSC Men's Field Athlete of the Week after he set a new ASU record in the pole vault to win the event at the Wes Kittley Invitational. His vault of 5.60 meters (18-4.5) is the top mark in NCAA Division II this season and ranks 45th in the world. The freshman management major broke the ASU record for the event that had stood since 1997. The ASU track and field teams continue their outdoor season this week at the Texas Relays in Austin starting Thursday. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Madeline Stephens of Lubbock, a guard on the Angelo State University Rambelles basketball team, has been named to the 2024-25 Academic All-District Team by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) organization for her performance on the court and in the classroom. To be eligible, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore and have a minimum 3.50 grade point average (GPA). For basketball, they must have competed in at least 90% of their team's games or started in at least 66%. A senior athletically, Stephens has already earned her ASU bachelor's degree in health science professions with a 3.95 GPA and is now working on her MBA. She has been named to the Lone Star Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll every semester and is also a regular on the ASU Dean's List. On the court, Stephens wrapped up her basketball tenure at ASU by setting a new career record with 1,114 rebounds and finishing third on the all-time scoring list with 1,720 points. She was named to the All-LSC first team this season and to the D2CCA All-South Central Region second team. As an Academic All-District selectee, Stephens is now eligible for the CSC Academic All-America teams that will be announced on April 16. See more details at angelosports.com.

Fourteen student-athletes on the Angelo State University track and field teams have earned 16 All-South Central Region honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for their performances during the 2025 indoor season. The top five individuals in each event earn all-region honors, along with each member of the region's top three relay teams in each relay event. On the women's side, five ASU Rambelles were named all-region, including: Fedra Florentin of Filadelfia, Paraguay - Shot Put Kylie Frush of Glen Rose - Pentathlon Jacent Nyamahunge of Hoima, Uganda - 60 Meters, 200 Meters Kylyie Paden of Portales, N.M. - Pole Vault Marie Schuler of Langenfeld, Germany - Weight Throw On the men's side, nine ASU Rams were named all-region, including: Oleg Ananev of Irkutsk, Russia - Pole Vault Rami Balti of Tunisia - 400 Meters, 4x400 Relay Antonio Blair of Manchester, Jamaica - 4x400 Relay Joshua Body of Abilene - Triple Jump Taylor Briggs of McKinney - 4x400 Relay Mark Burdin of Kazan, Russia - Heptathlon Adrian Nethersole of Santa Cruz, Jamaica - 4x400 Relay Solomon Odonkor of Accra, Ghana - 200 Meters Adrian Washington of Plano - High Jump The ASU teams continue their outdoor season at the Texas Relays in Austin starting on Thursday, March 27. More details are available at angelosports.com.

Four student-athletes on the Angelo State University track and field teams have been named Lone Star Conference Outdoor Track and Field Athletes to Watch heading into the 2025 outdoor season. On the men's side, Oleg Ananev of Irkutsk, Russia, was named a Preseason Field Athlete to Watch. A freshman management major, he recently won the pole vault at the LSC Indoor Championships and was named a first-team All-American after finishing second in the event at the NCAA Division II National Indoor Championships. Also for the Rams, Adrian Nethersole of Santa Cruz, Jamaica, was named a Preseason Track Athlete to Watch. A junior kinesiology major, he recently earned first-team All-America status as a member of the Rams' 4x400-meter relay team that took sixth place at the NCAA D-II National Indoor Championships. On the women's side, Maria Schuler of Langenfeld, Germany, was named a Preseason Field Athlete to Watch. A junior business major, she recently earned All-LSC honors after finishing second in the weight throw at the LSC Indoor Championships. Also for the Rambelles, Maricia Spence of Manchester, Jamaica, was named a Preseason Track Athlete to Watch. A junior kinesiology major, she was an All-American last season in the indoor pentathlon, 60-meter hurdles and long jump. The Rams and Rambelles officially start the outdoor season this weekend at the Wes Kittley Invitational in Abilene. See more details on the LSC website.

Blythe Meacham of Frisco, a junior in the Angelo State University Honors Program, won the top prize for her research presentation at the recent 2025 Great Plains Honors Council (GPHC) Conference in Denton. An English major, Meacham earned a Dennis Boe Award for exceptional research and writing by an undergraduate honors student. She was presented a plaque and a $200 cash prize, and her work will be published in The Windmill, a scholarly journal featuring undergraduate research. Only three Dennis Boe Awards are presented annually to undergraduate students who are juniors or seniors. Meacham's oral presentation and paper detailed her research project titled "Beyond the Female Gothic: Wild Women in Charlotte Dacre's Zofloya and Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights." See more details at angelo.edu/news.

Nine student-athletes on the Angelo State University track and field teams have been named All-Americans for their stellar performances at the 2025 NCAA Division II National Indoor Track & Field Championships March 13-15 in Indianapolis. On the men's side, the Rams' performances were highlighted by senior psychology major Joshua Body of Abilene winning the national title in the triple jump with a leap of 15.38 meters (50-5.5) to claim first-team All-America honors. Freshman management major Oleg Onanev of Irkutsk, Russia, was the national runner-up in the pole vault, also making the All-America first team with a personal-best height of 5.49 meters (18-0). Junior business major Mark Burdin of Kazan, Russia, took fourth in the heptathlon with a personal-best score of 5,509 points and was named a first-team All-American. On the track, senior kinesiology major Solomon Odonkor of Accra, Ghana, finished eighth in the 200 meters with a time of 21.73 to make the All-America first team - while the Rams' 4x400-meter relay team finished sixth in 3:10.35. The first-team All-America relay team members were freshman finance major Taylor Briggs of McKinney, freshman exercise science major Adrian Nethersole of San Angelo, senior management information systems major Antonio Blair of Manchester, Jamaica, and freshman kinesiology major Rami Balti of Tunisia. Balti also claimed second-team All-America honors in the 400 meters. On the women's side, graduate kinesiology student Jacent Nyamahunge of Hoima, Uganda, was the ASU Rambelles' only representative, and she claimed second-team All-America honors in the 200 meters. The Rams and Rambelles track and field teams officially kick off their outdoor season March 22 at the West Kittley Invitational in Abilene. See more details at angelosports.com.

Raegan Sucher of Highland Village, a pitcher on the Angelo State University Rambelles softball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Week for her performances during Week 7 of the season ending March 16. As the Belles swept home double-headers over Western New Mexico and Eastern New Mexico over the weekend, Sucher threw 3.1 innings of perfect relief across three of the games. In the first game against WNMU, she tossed the final two innings without allowing a baserunner to finish out a combined shutout. She took the circle again in the second game, recording the final out and stranding two runners in scoring position in the top of the 7th inning. The Belles completed a walk-off comeback in the bottom of the 7th to give Sucher her first collegiate win. In the first game against ENMU, the freshman civil engineering major threw a perfect 5th inning in the Belles' 10-1, run-rule victory. Sucher is now 1-0 with a 1.31 ERA in 10 appearances this season. She has been part of three combined shutouts, and opponents are only hitting .220 against her. The No. 4 Rambelles are 26-4 this season and about to kick off a 10-game road swing this coming weekend. See more details at angelosports.com and on th LSC website.

Madeline Stephens of Lubbock, a forward on the Angelo State University Rambelles basketball team, has bee named to the 2024-25 All-South Central Region second team by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA). A graduate MBA student, Stephens helped lead the Rambelles to an 18-12 record and into the semifinals of the Lone Star Conference Tournament this season. She was named to the All-LSC first team after leading ASU in scoring (13.4 ppg) and ranking third in the conference in rebounds per game (9.1), fourth in blocked shots per game (1.7) and fifth in steals (52). She was also named to the LSC All-Academic Team. Stephens holds the Belles' career record for rebounds (1,114), is fourth all-time in points (1,72), fifth in steals (194) and fifth in blocks (103). She was named to the LSC All-Freshman Team in 2021, earned All-LSC honorable mention in 2022, made the All-LSC second team in 2023, and was named to the All-LSC first team in 2024 and 2025. She has also received a D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award. See more details at angelosports.com.

Tatiana Trotter of Lubbock, an outfielder on the Angelo State University Rambelles softball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Hitter of the Week for Week 6 of the season ending March 9. As the Belles split a double-header at St. Mary's and then swept a double-header against St. Edwards, Trotter batted .615 over the four games with five extra-base hits while also posting nine RBI and six runs scored. She hit three home runs, including a grand slam, and also recorded a .706 on-base percentage and 1.538 slugging percentage. Currently riding an eight-game hitting streak, the junior intelligence and analysis major is batting .368 for the season and is second on the team in home runs (4), RBI (23), walks (19) and runs scored (24). She has also started all of the Belles' 26 games. Trotter and the No. 4 Belles will host home games against Western New Mexico on Saturday and Eastern New Mexico on Sunday. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Two student-athletes on the Angelo State University Rambelles track and field team set new school records in their respective events during the inaugural Blue & Gold Battle against Texas A&M-Kingsville on March 7 at ASU's LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field. Belles junior thrower Marie Schuler, a business major from Langenfeld, Germany, set a new record as she won the the hammer throw with a toss of 60.01 meters (196-10). That broke the previous school record of 195-8 set by Sarah Ramos in 2021. Meanwhile, junior multi-event athlete Kylyie Paden, a nursing major from Portales, N.M., set a new school record as she won the pole vault with a leap of 3.96 meters (12-11.75). That broke the previous record of 12-11.5 set by Danielle Dorsey in 2009 and tied by Paden in 2024. The Rambelles and Rams swept both the women's and men's titles over Texas A&M-Kingsville. It was the first meet of the outdoor season for the ASU teams that will continue on March 22 at the Wes Kittley Invitational in Abilene, Texas. See more details at angelosports.com.

Three players on the Angelo State University Rams basketball team have earned four All-Lone Star Conference awards for their performances during the 2024-25 regular season. Senior guard Sterling Gaston-Chapman, and interdisciplinary studies major from Wichita, Kansas, was named to the All-LSC second team. He leads the Rams in scoring (12.5 points per game) and rebounding (5.4 per game) and has scored in double figures in 21 of the team's 28 games. Senior forward Shemar Smith, a criminal justice major from Norman, Okla., was named to the All-LSC third team. He is averaging 10.4 points per game and has scored in double figures in 13 of the last 15 games to help lead the Rams into the postseason. Graduate student guard Kaden Evans, an MBA student from Kansas City, Missouri, earned All-LSC honorable mention and was named to the LSC All-Defensive Team. He averages 2.1 steals per game, which ranks second in the LSC, and his 245 career steals are the second-most among active NCAA Division II players. He also averages 9.3 points per game. The Rams are 17-11 overall and 13-9 in the LSC as they begin play in the Lone Star Conference Tournament in Frisco on Friday against top seed Dallas Baptist University. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Four players on the Angelo State University Rambelles basketball team have earned seven All-Lone Star Conference awards for their performances during the 2024-25 season. Senior forward Madeline Stephens, a MBA student from Lubbock, was named to the All-LSC first team. She leads the team in scoring (13.8 points per game) and rebounding (9.3 per game). She was also one of five student-athletes named to the LSC All-Academic Team. Junior center Keniah Williams, an interdisciplinary studies major from Georgetown, was named to the All-LSC second team and the LSC All-Defensive Team. She averages 12 points, 8.8 rebounds and a conference-high 2.6 blocks per game. She also set a new LSC record for blocks in a game with 20 on Feb. 15 against Midwestern State. Freshman guard Majik Esquivel, a commercial aviation major from Lubbock, was named to the All-LSC third team and LSC All-Freshman Team. She is averaging 11.8 points per game this season, highlighted by a career-high 31 points against Midwestern State on Jan. 16. Freshman guard Addy Burns, a history major from Lubbock, was named to the LSC All-Freshman Team. She is averaging 8.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game and posted a career-high 22 points against Oklahoma Christian on Dec. 14. The Rambelles begin play in the Lone Star Conference Tournament in Frisco tonight against Eastern New Mexico. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Sixteen student-athletes on the Angelo State University Rams and Rambelles track and field teams have earned All-Lone Star Conference honors for their performances at the 2025 LSC Indoor Championships. All-LSC honorees for the Rams: Oleg Ananyev of Irkutsk, Russia - First Team, Pole Vault Mark Burdin of Kazan, Russia - First Team, Heptathlon Solomon Odonkor of Accra, Ghana - First Team, 200 Meters Josh Body of Abilene - Second Team, Triple Jump Cam Morrison of Leander - Second Team, Throws Adrian Washington of Plano - Second Team, High Jump Rami Balti of Tunisia - Third Team, 400 Meters, 4x400 Relay Antonio Blair of Manchester, Jamaica - Third Team, 800 Meters, 4x400 Relay Taylor Briggs of McKinney - Third Team, 4x400 Relay Adrian Nethersole of San Angelo - Third Team, 800 Meters, 4x400 Relay All-LSC honorees for the Rambelles: Kylie Frush of Glen Rose - First Team, Heptathlon, 800 Meters Jacent Nyamahunge of Hoima, Uganda - First Team, 200 Meters, 60 Meters Kylyie Paden of Portales, N.M., - First Team, Heptathlon, High Jump Fedra Florentin of Filadelfia, Paraguay - Second Team, Shot Put Maria Schuler of Langenfeld, Germany - Second Team, Weight Throw Lainey Jernigan of Goldthwaite - Third Team, 60-Meter Hurdles Kamryn Williams of San Angelo - Third Team, Throws Both the Rams and Rambelles finished third overall at the LSC Indoor Championships. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Six members of the Angelo State University Handball Club brought home gold and silver medals from the 72nd U.S. Handball Association (USHA) National Collegiate Championships held recently in Portland, Oregon. For the ASU women's team, Kelly Salisbury, an interdisciplinary studies major from San Angelo, won the Gold Medal in the Women's C Singles Division. She then teamed with her twin sister, Kimberly Hostetter, an agricultural science and leadership major, to win the Gold Medal in the Women's C Doubles Division. Taigan Rivers, an exercise science major from San Angelo, and Kinzi Jo Leon, an animal science major from Austin, won the Gold Medal in the Women's B Doubles Division. For the ASU men's team, Cade Whitley, a border and homeland security major from Tioga, won the Silver Medal in the Men's B3 Singles Division. Logan Leto, a biology major from San Angelo, won the Silver Medal in the Men's C1 Singles Division. Additionally, Leon won the Women's Most Improved Player Award, and Salisbury earned the Women's Spirit of Handball Award for her competitiveness, sportsmanship and team spirit. Competing against teams from 30 universities in the U.S., Canada and Ireland, the ASU Handball Club finished third in the Combined Open Division, with the ASU women's team taking third place in the Women's Open Division and the ASU men's team placing fourth in the Men's Open Division. See more details at angelo.edu/news.

Weston Valasek of Katy, centerfielder for the Angelo State University Rams baseball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Hitter of the Week for Week 4 of the season ending Feb. 23. As the No. 2 Rams swept a four-game road series over Oklahoma Christian, Valasek hit .500 for the series with four doubles, a home run, seven runs scored and four RBI. In the Rams' series-opening 10-8 win, he went 4-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and a homer - and he drove in both runs in the 2-0 victory in Game 3. The mechanical engineering major also extended his hitting streak to 15 games while posting a .714 on-base percentage and playing errorless defense. Valasek and the Rams, currently riding a 10-game winning streak, will be back at home this weekend as they host a four-game series against St. Mary's starting on Friday. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Five student-athletes on the Angelo State University indoor track and field teams claimed individual Lone Star Conference titles at the 2025 LSC Indoor Championships Feb. 21-22 in Albuquerque, N.M. The Rams won three individual titles. Freshman Oleg Ananyev, a management major from Irkutsk, Russia, won the pole vault, clearing 5.44 meters. Junior Mark Burdin, a management major from Kazan, Russia, won the heptathlon with 5,247 points. Senior Solomon Odonkor, a kinesiology major from Accra, Ghana, won the 200-meter dash in a time of 20.82 seconds. The Rambelles won two individual titles. Junior Kylyie Paden, a nursing major from Portales, N.M., won the pole vault, clearing 3.80 meters. Jacent Nyamahunge of Hoima, Uganda, a graduate student in coaching, sport, recreation and fitness administration, won the 200-meter dash in a time of 23.72 seconds. Overall, the Rams and Rambelles both finished third at the LSC Indoor Championships. The ASU teams will begin the outdoor season by hosting Texas A&M-Kingsville for the Blue & Gold Battle on March 7 before concluding the indoor season at the NCAA Division II National Indoor Championships in Indianapolis starting March 13. See more details at angelosports.com.

Ivet Stancheva of Chavdar, Bulgaria, a sophomore on the Angelo State University Rambelles tennis team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Women's Player of the Week for Week 2 of the spring season ending on Feb. 16. As the Belles won road matches over Central Oklahoma (4-3) and No. 24 Missouri Western (4-3), Stancheva went 2-0 to run her personal winning streak to 11 matches. Against Central Oklahoma, the psychology major won at No. 5 singles 6-3, 6-0 - then against Missouri Western, she won at No. 4 singles 6-7, 6-3, 6-2. It's the first time ASU has ever beaten Missouri Western. The Belles, now ranked No. 15, will be back in action on the road against Ouachita Baptist on Friday and Arkansas Tech on Saturday. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Jacent Nyamahunge of Hoima, Uganda, a sprinter on the Angelo State University Rambelles track and field team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Women's Track Athlete of the Week for Week 6 of the indoor season ending on Feb. 16. At the Jarvis Scott Invite in Lubbock, Nyamahunge was the top NCAA Division II finisher in the 200 meters with a time of 24.08. She also helped the ASU 4x400-meter relay team record a time of 3:45.94. Both times are good for D-II provisional status, and her time in the 200 meters ranks 11th in the nation and first in the LSC. The 4x400 time with teammates Shackelia Green, Kylie Frush and Lainey Jernigan ranks 25th in the nation. Nyamahunge and her teammates will head to Albuquerque, N.M., this weekend for the LSC Indoor Championships beginning on Friday. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

DJ Freeman of Midwest City, Okla., a senior forward on the Angelo State University Rams basketball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week for Week 16 of the season ending Feb. 23. As the Rams swept a pair of home games against No. 5 Dallas Baptist University and UT Tyler, Freeman averaged 12.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Against DBU, he snagged 12 rebounds and posted three blocked shots as the Rams snapped the Patriots' 11-game winning streak. He also chipped in nine points on the offensive end. Against UT Tyler, he had 13 rebounds and two blocks while also adding eight points. The interdisciplinary studies major is the first Ram to earn a LSC Player of the Week honor this season. Freeman and the Rams close out their regular season on Thursday, Feb. 27, at home against UT Permian Basin. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Cheyenne Floyd of Liberty Hill, a pitcher for the Angelo State University Rambelles softball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Pitcher of the Week for Week 3 of the season ending on Feb. 16. As the No. 7 Belles swept home double-headers over No. 20 Oklahoma Christian on Friday and Cameron University on Sunday, Floyd made three appearances, picking up two wins and her first save. That included a complete-game shutout of Oklahoma Christian in the opening game and two innings of relief work for the save in the second game. She then tossed four no-hit innings to pick up a win over Cameron. Over her 13 total innings, Floyd allowed only four hits while posting 10 strikeouts and not allowing a single run. The coaching, sport, recreation and fitness administration student is now 6-1 this season with a 0.92 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 38 innings. She also has one solo and one combined no-hitter. Next up for Floyd and the Belles are road series against Texas Woman's University on Feb. 22 and No. 1 UT Tyler on Feb. 24. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

The Angelo State University Agriculture Department's student Wool Judging Team brought home the gold medal from the 2025 San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Collegiate Wool Judging Contest held Feb. 8 in San Antonio. ASU sent two four-person teams to the contest to compete against eight other teams from Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University and West Texas A&M University. The ASU Blue Team scored 2,370 points to claim the team title over a team from Texas A&M (2,359 points) and a team from West Texas A&M (2,358 points), with the ASU Gold Team placing fourth overall (2,312 points). Individually for the ASU Blue Team, James "Carter" Glass, a natural resource management major from Sterling City, placed second overall out of 58 competitors. Hudson Felts, an agribusiness major from San Angelo, and Shalyn Crimm, an accounting major from San Angelo, tied for fourth place. Janna Arnold, a health science professions major from Cisco, tied for ninth place overall to lead the ASU Gold Team. Also competing for ASU were Kasey Arnold, an animal science major from Cisco; Isabella Celaya, an animal science major from San Antonio; and Riley Titsworth, an agribusiness major from Comfort. The ASU Wool Judging Team is coached by Dr. James "Will" Dickison, associate professor of agriculture, along with student coach Cade Thomas, an animal science major from San Angelo. See more details at angelo.edu/news.

An even 200 Angelo State University student-athletes and student-athletic trainers have been named to the Lone Star Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll for their academic achievement during the fall 2024 semester. To be eligible for the recognition, student-athletes must have a minimum 3.30 grade point average (GPA) for the semester and be on the institution's athletics roster. ASU's honorees include 85 who posted a perfect 4.0 GPA for the fall 2024 semester. The complete list of ASU honorees is available at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Laylonna Applin of Stamford, shortstop for the Angelo State University Rambelles softball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Hitter of the Week for Week 1 of the season ending Feb. 2. As the Belles swept all five of their games at the DII First Pitch Invitational in Conroe, Applin hit .667 for the week with 10 hits in 15 at-bats and 14 RBI. Her hits included three doubles, two triples and three home runs as she slugged 1.733 over the five games. Her 14 RBI currently leads all of NCAA Division II. A sophomore health science professions major, Applin wins the first LSC weekly award of her ASU career. She and her teammates will play their home opener this weekend as they host the annual George and Ola McCorkle Challenge at ASU's Mayer Softball Field. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Laylonna Applin of Stamford, shortstop for the Angelo State University Rambelles softball team, has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II Player of the Week for Week 1 of the season by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. A sophomore health science professions major, Applin was dominant at the plate as the Belles won all five of their games at the DII First Pitch Invitational in Conroe. She batted .667 for the week with 14 RBI, and her 10 hits in 15 at bats included eight for extra bases - three doubles, two triples and three home runs. Her 14 RBIs are tops in all of NCAA D-II. Applin is the first Rambelle to earn National Player of the Week honors since March 2022. She was also named the Lone Star Conference Hitter of the Week. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Madeline Stephens of Lubbock, a forward on the Angelo State University Rambelles basketball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week for Week 13 of the season ending Feb. 2. As the Belles swept home games against Sul Ross State and Western New Mexico, Stephens collected nine steals, including a career-high seven against Western New Mexico. She also snagged 14 rebounds and posted two blocked shots as ASU held their opponents to a combined 28% shooting percentage. She also chipped in 25 points over the two games. A graduate student in health science professions, Stephens ranks second in the LSC in rebounds per game (9.5), fourth in steals per game (2) and fifth in blocked shots (22). With the two wins, the Belles remain in second place in the LSC West Division. Next up are road games at Eastern New Mexico on Feb. 6 and West Texas A&M on Feb. 8. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Angelo State University Rambelles tennis players Jessica Li of Auckland, New Zealand, and Eva Schwartz of L'Isle-Sur-la-Sorgue, France, have been named to the Lone Star Conference 2025 Tennis Players to Watch List heading into the spring portion of the 2024-25 season. Li, a sophomore marking major, made the All-LSC second team and the LSC All-Sportsmanship Team last season. She was also named an ITA Scholar-Athlete. Schwartz, a graduate student in international business, was named to the All-LSC first team and an ITA All-American in doubles, as well as to the All-LSC second team in singles. She was also named an ITA Scholar-Athlete and earned a D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award. Next up for the Belles this spring is a home match against Collin County College on Feb. 2 at the ASU Tennis Courts. See more details on the LSC website.

Angelo State University Rambelles golfers Mia Clarke of Liverpool, England, and Johanna Ohrling of Linkoping, Sweden, have been named to the Lone Star Conference 2025 Golfers to Watch List ahead of the spring portion of the 2024-25 season. Clark, a junior interdisciplinary studies major, transferred to ASU from McClennan Community College, where she was a two-time NJCAA All-American and Academic All-American. Ohrling, a freshman management major, was the 2021 and 2022 club champion for Linkoping Golf Club while in high school. The pair will lead a very young Rambelles team that features only two upperclassmen to go with 10 freshmen. They tee off the spring LSC schedule on Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Jack Brown Invitational in Laredo. See more details on the LSC website.

The preseason accolades keep rolling in for several players on the Angelo State University Rams baseball team as they prepare to open the 2025 season this weekend. Outfielder Jacob Guerrero of Colleyville, relief pitcher Caleb Heuertz of San Angelo, and starting pitcher Dax Dathe of Round Rock have all been named Preseason All-Americans by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. It's the second Preseason All-America nod for Guerrero, who made the second team, and Heuertz, who was named to the third team. It's the first such honor for Dathe, who was also named to the third team. Guerrero, a graduate accounting student, was previously named a Preseason All-American by D2 Baseball, as well as picking up NCBWA Preseason All-South Central Region and Lone Star Conference Preseason Player of the Year honors. Heuertz, a senior management major, is also a D2 Baseball Preseason All-American, as well as earning NCBWA preseason all-region and LSC Preseason Pitcher to Watch accolades. Dathe, a graduate student in coaching, sport, recreation and fitness administration, also picked up NCBWA preseason all-region honors. All three players played key roles for the Rams last year as they reached the NCAA Division II College World Series championship game, finishing as national runners-up. Guerrero and Heuertz were also part of the Rams' 2023 D-II National Championship squad. The Rams open the 2025 season at home on Jan. 31 against UT Permian Basin. See more details at angelosports.com.