Angelo State University

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Angelo State University Rambelles softball players Ashleigh Dendas and Zoey Sifuentes have been named the Lone Star Conference Pitcher of the Week and Freshman of the Week, respectively, for Week 5 of the season ending March 1. As the Belles swept a pair of home double-headers over Texas A&M International and Texas A&M-Kingsville, Dendas allowed only one run in 10.1 innings pitched as she upped her record to 8-1. She threw a complete-game shutout against A&M International and followed that up with by allowing only one run in 5.1 innings against A&M-Kingsville. The junior psychology major from Sacramento, Calif., now has a 2.32 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 51.1 innings pitched. Meanwhile, Sifuentes was the star of the Belles' offense, hitting .545 over the four games with a home run, three doubles and seven RBI. The freshman kinesiology major from Lamesa is riding an 11-game hitting streak and is batting .493 for the season with a team-high five home runs, 11 doubles and 31 RBI. This marks the third straight week she has earned an LSC superlative award. The No. 7 Belles will be back in action at home this weekend with games against UT Tyler and Texas Woman's University. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Garrett Baumann of Poth, a senior pitcher on the Angelo State University Rams baseball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Pitcher of the Week for Week 5 of the season ending March 1. As the No. 18 Rams swept a four-game road series at No. 23 St. Mary's in San Antonio, Baumann earned two wins in relief out of the bullpen. In total, he threw eight shutout innings, allowed only three hits (all singles), notched six strikeouts, and held opposing hitters to a .111 batting average as he recorded wins in Game 1 and Game 4 of the series. The interdisciplinary studies major has now made three consecutive scoreless appearances out of the Rams' bullpen. In eight total appearances, including two starts, Baumann is 5-2 with a 4.91 ERA and has a team-high 19 strikeouts in 18.1 innings pitched. His five wins leads the LSC. Baumann and the Rams will be back at home this weekend for a four-game series against Lubbock Christian. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

For the second week in a row, Angelo State University Rams second baseman Austin Beck has been named the Lone Star Conference Hitter of the Week for Week 4 of the season. As the Rams took three out of four games at home over Oklahoma Christian, Beck batted .563 (9 for 16) with two doubles, nine RBI, six runs scored and eight stolen bases. The redshirt senior from Allen has notched at least one hit in 13 of the Rams' 14 games and is batting .491 for the season. An MBA student, Beck is second in the LSC in batting average and slugging percentage (.825) and leads the conference in hits (28), doubles (10), RBI (28), runs scored (24) and stolen bases (15). Beck and the Rams will hit the road this weekend for a 4-game series at St. Mary's in San Antonio. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Majik Esquivel of Lubbock, a sophomore guard on the Angelo State University Rambelles basketball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week for Week 16 of the season ending Feb. 22. As the Belles swept home games over No. 23 Lubbock Christian and Midwestern State, Esquivel averaged 25 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game as ASU ran its winning streak to 10 games. The commercial aviation major leads the Belles and is second in the LSC in scoring at 17.4 points per game. This marks the second straight week and third time this season Esquivel has been named the LSC Offensive Player of the Week. Esquivel and the Belles wrap up their regular season this week with road games at No. 8 West Texas A&M on Thursday and at Eastern New Mexico on Saturday. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Angelo State Rams second baseman Austin Beck of Allen has been named the National Hitter of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) for his performance during the week ending Feb. 15. In the Rams' four-game road sweep over Sul Ross State, Beck batted .625 with a .700 on-base percentage and a 1.063 slugging percentage, posting a 1.763 OPS. Overall, he went 10-for-16 at the plate with four doubles, a home run, 10 RBI, 12 runs scored and seven stolen bases. A redshirt senior studying for his MBA, Beck now leads the LSC in doubles (8) and is tied for the lead in RBI (19) and stolen bases (7). Beck and the Rams are back in action this weekend with a four-game home series against Oklahoma Christian. See more details at angelosports.com.

Benedetta Raggiotti and Margaux Rene, both sophomores on the Angelo State University Rambelles tennis team, have been named the Lone Star Conference Women's Tennis Players of the Week for Week 2 of the spring season. As the Belles swept road matches against Southwest Baptist (4-0) and Ouachita Baptist (7-0), the doubles pairing of Raggiotti and Rene won both their matches to improve to 4-0 for the season. Their performance earned them the LSC Women's Doubles Team of the Week accolade. Rene also competed in singles and went 2-0 on her way to being named the LSC Women's Singles Player of the Week. Raggiotti, a psychology major from Perugia, Italy, and Rene, a marketing major from Soisy-Sur-Siene, France, both earned LSC Player of the Week honors for the first time in their ASU careers. The Belles are back in action this weekend with road matches against Henderson State and Collin College. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Zoey Sifuentes of Lamesa, the freshman third baseman for the Angelo State University Rambelles softball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Hitter of the Week and Freshman of the Week for Week 3 of the season ending Feb. 15. As the Belles completed a five-game road trip in Florida, Sifuentes batted .563 (9-for-16) with two home runs, a double, six RBI and four runs scored. That included four multi-hit games. Sifuentes repeats as LSC Freshman of the Week and earned her first LSC Hitter of the Week accolade of the season. The kinesiology major is tied for the LSC lead in doubles (7) and ranks in the top five in batting average (.512), slugging percentage (.951), on-base percentage (.615), OPS (1.566), hits (21) and RBI (18). Sifuentes and the No. 9 Belles open LSC play on the road this week with double-headers at Midwestern State and Lubbock Christian. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Kamryn Williams of Wall, a junior thrower on the Angelo State University Rambelles track and field team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Women's Field Athlete of Week for Week 7 of the indoor season ending Feb. 15. Competing at the Jarvis Scott Open in Lubbock, Williams recorded the best weight throw in the LSC this season with a heave of 58-8.5 (17.89 meters). Her personal-best throw also earned an NCAA Division II provisional mark and ranks 21st in the entire country this year. The exercise science major was also the top NCAA D-II finisher in the event in Lubbock. Williams is the first Rambelle to earn a LSC weekly award this season. Along with her Rambelles teammates and the No. 12 Rams, she will next compete at the LSC Indoor Championships Feb. 27-28 in Albuquerque, N.M. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Majik Esquivel of Lubbock, a sophomore guard on the Angelo State University Rambelles basketball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Women's Offensive Player of the Week for Week 15 of the season ending Feb. 15. It's her second time to win the award this season. As the Belles posted road wins over St. Edward's, 73-57, and St. Mary's, 59-53, Esquivel averaged 21.5 points per game and shot 51.7% from the field. She scored a game-high 29 points against St. Edward's, along with three assists, three steals and two blocks. Against St. Mary's, the commercial aviation major notched 14 points and four rebounds to help the Belles run their winning streak to eight games. For the season, Esquivel leads the Belles in scoring at 16.7 points per game and is second with 41 steals. The Belles are back home this week for games against No. 7 Lubbock Christian on Feb. 19 and then against Midwestern State for Senior Day on Feb. 21. 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 Lone Star Conference Hitter of the Week for Week 3 of the season ending Feb. 15. As the Rams swept a four-game road series over Sul Ross State, Beck batted .625 (10-for-16) with four doubles, a home run and 10 RBI. He also walked twice, was hit by a pitch twice, stole seven bases and scored 12 runs while playing errorless defense. In three of the games, he had at least two hits, an extra-base hit and a stolen base. A redshirt senior studying for his MBA, Beck leads the LSC in doubles (8) and is tied for the lead in RBI (19) and stolen bases (7). Beck and the Rams are back in action this weekend with a four-game home series against Oklahoma Christian. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Zoey Sifuentes of Lamesa, starting third baseman for the Angelo State University Rambelles softball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Week for Week 2 of the season ending Feb. 8. As the Belles went 4-1 at their home George and Ola McCorkle Challenge, Sifuentes batted .500 for the weekend with three doubles, three RBI, four runs scored and an .800 slugging percentage. The kinesiology major also drew five walks and was hit by a pitch twice as she posted a .706 on-base percentage. For the season, Sifuentes is batting .480 with a team-high .920 slugging percentage, and she is second on the team with 12 RBI. This is the first LSC weekly accolade of her ASU career. Sifuentes and the No. 2 Belles will head to Florida this weekend for five games against Embry-Riddle, Florida Tech and Rollins College. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Jhordan Ryan, a junior forward on the Angelo State University Rams basketball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week for Week 14 of the season ending Feb. 8. As the Rams notched home wins over Western New Mexico and Sul Ross State, Ryan averaged 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game - and his defensive efforts helped the Rams hold the Mustangs and Lobos to a combined 33.9 field goal percentage and a 51.5 points per game average. He also averaged 17 points per game in the two victories. A kinesiology major from St. John's, Montserrat, Ryan has recorded six double-doubles in his last eight games, averaging 14.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game over that span. He is the fourth Ram to be named an LSC Player of the Week this season. Ryan and the Rams will hit the road this week for games at St. Edward's and St. Mary's. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Rami Balti of Tunisia, a senior on the Angelo State University Rams track and field team, has been named the NCAA Division II National Athlete of the Week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross County Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for the week ending Feb. 1. Competing at the New Mexico Team Open Jan. 30-31, Balti won the 400-meter dash with a time of 46.68 and anchored the Rams' 4x400-meter relay team that took first place with a time of 3:09.08. His time in the 400-meter dash is second-best in NCAA D-II this year and the 19th-fastest in D-II history. His relay split time of 46.97 is fifth-best this year. A coaching, sport, recreation and fitness administration major, Balti is the first Ram to win the USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week award during the indoor season since the award was initiated in 2015. Balti and the Rams will be back in action Feb. 13-14 at the Jarvis Scott Open in Lubbock. See more details at angelosports.com.

Two Angelo State University Rambelles tennis, a sophomore and a freshman, have been named Lone Star Conference Preseason Tennis Players to Watch heading into the 2026 season. Margaux Rene, a sophomore from Soisy-Sur-Siene, France, and Sasa Felixova, a freshman from Sala, Slovakia, earned the LSC preseason accolades for ASU. Rene heads into her second season for the Belles after being named the LSC Freshman of the Year last season when she posted a 17-5 singles record. She is ranked seventh in singles in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITC) Preseason Poll for NCAA Division II. Felixova is half of a new doubles pairing for the Belles along with Rene. The duo is ranked 22nd in the ITA Preseason Poll. The Belles start the 2026 season Friday, Jan. 30, at home against Weatherford College. See more details on the LSC website.

Two Angelo State University Rambelles golfers, one a senior and one a freshman, have been named Lone Star Conference Preseason Golfers to Watch heading into the spring 2026 season. Mia Clarke, a senior from Liverpool, England, and Christine Huse, a freshman from Baerum, Norway, earned the preseason accolades for ASU. Both have already written themselves into the ASU record books for performances during the fall 2025 portion of the season. At the West Texas Fall Invitational in September, Huse set a new team record for lowest individual 18-hole score when she carded a 66 (-5) in the second round. Her final three-round score of 216 (+3) at that tournament is also the third-lowest in team history. Clarke now holds three of the top 10 lowest individual 18-hole scores. She shot a 69 (-2) in the first round of the West Texas Invitational, which ranks seventh all-time, and she twice shot 70 (-2), tied for 10th all-time. Her final three-round scored of 220 (+7) at the WT Invitational is also tied for sixth-lowest in team history. She was previously named a WGCA All-American Scholar for the 2024-25 season. The Belles tee off to start the spring 2026 season on Feb. 2 at the Jack Brown Memorial in Spicewood. See more details on the LSC website.

Angelo State University Rams baseball players Chase Pendley of Prosper and Josh Reed of Midland have been named to the Lone Star Conference preseason watch lists heading into the 2026 season. Pendley, a senior infielder, was named one of the LSC Preseason Players to Watch after earning All-America honorable mention last season as a designated hitter. In 2025, he posted a .390 batting average with 47 RBI and 60 runs scored. He was also the All-LSC first-team DH and MVP of the LSC Tournament. Reed, a sophomore lefty, was named one of the LSC Preseason Pitchers to Watch. Primarily a relief pitcher last season, he made 19 appearances and posted a 3-2 record with three saves. He also notched 29 strikeouts to only eight walks in 24.2 innings pitched. Coming off a season where they fell just one win short of a trip to the NCAA D-II College World Series, the Rams are ranked No. 11 in the D2 Baseball Preseason Poll and have been picked to finish second in the LSC. See more details on the LSC website.

Tatiana Trotter of Lubbock, a senior outfielder on the Angelo State University Rambelles softball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Preseason Player of the Year heading into the 2026 season. One of only four players to start all 61 games for the Rambelles last season, Trotter batted .330 with 14 home runs, 47 RBI and 53 runs scored. She also chipped in 10 doubles, two triples and 14 stolen bases, and she was a LSC Gold Glove winner in the outfield. She was named to the All-LSC first team and also earned NFCA and D2CCA all-region honors. Also a star in the classroom, the intelligence and analysis major is a regular on the ASU Dean's List and the LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll, and she was named a 2025 CSC Academic All-American. After advancing to the NCAA D-II regional last season, the Rambelles are ranked No. 13 in the 2026 NFCA Preseason Poll. They start the new season on Jan. 30 at the D-II First Pitch Invitational in Conroe. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Nearly 200 Angelo State University student-athletes have been named to the Lone Star Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll for their academic achievement during the fall 2025 semester. The Commissioner's Honor Roll is announced at the conclusion of each fall and the spring semester, with student-athlete qualification based on their grade point average for the specified semester. To be eligible, student-athletes must have a minimum 3.30 GPA for the semester and be on the institution's sports roster. Participants in all 19 LSC championship sports, three non-conference NCAA sports, and student staff who assist with athletic training, athletic performance and sports information are included among the honorees. See more details and the complete list of ASU honorees at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.

Majik Esquivel of Lubbock, a sophomore guard on the Angelo State University Rambelles basketball team, has been named the Lone Star Conference Women's Basketball Offensive Player of the Week for Week 10 of the season ending Jan. 11. As the Rambelles swept road games over Cameron University and Oklahoma Christian, Esquivel averaged 32.5 points per game for the week. She scored 27 points against Cameron and followed that with a career-high 38 points against Oklahoma Christian. The commercial aviation major shot 47% from the field and 100% from the free-throw line over the two games while also posting seven rebounds, three steals and an assist. Esquivel leads the Belles and is second in the LSC in scoring, averaging 17.7 points per game. See more details at angelosports.com and on the LSC website.