Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Jones, Apo named LSC Athletes of the Year

from the LSC Office



Abilene Christian’s Nick Jones and Angelo State’s Elsamartina Apo were named the 2012 Lone Star Conference Male and Female Athletes of the Year, respectively. The awards were announced Tuesday following a vote of the league’s sports information directors.
      
The Wildcats Jones earned LSC top male athlete recognition following a dominant track & field season, while Apo claimed the honor of top female athlete after helping the Rambelles win the softball conference championship.
      
Jones was the clear choice, receiving votes on all 10 ballots cast, over Midwestern State football standout Amini Silatolu and Texas A&M-Kingsville multi-sport (football/track & field) star Jonathan Woodson.
      
Apo received the women’s award ahead of ACU tennis standout Julia Mongin and Tarleton State two-sport (volleyball/track & field) star Nikki McNorton.
      
Jones capped his remarkable career at the 2012 NCAA Division II outdoor championships by claiming his fifth national championship and making NCAA history in the process. Jones – who will compete in the US Olympic Trials in July – won the discus for the fourth time in his career, becoming the first male athlete in NCAA history (regardless of division) and only the second athlete in NCAA history to accomplish the feat. His best discus throw of the season – 203 feet, 3 inches at the UTEP Invitational – makes him the third-best performer in NCAA Division II history and the mark is the best collegiate mark in the country in 2012, regardless of division. At the LSC championship meet, Jones finished third in the hammer and sixth in the javelin, the first time in his career he had ever competed in those events. During the 2012 indoor season, Jones added another individual national championship to his already impressive resume when he won the shot put in March at the national indoor championship meet.  
       
Apo was named NFCA first team All-American and the LSC Player of the Year for 2012. She started all of ASU’s 59 games this season for the softball team. Apo paced the nationally ranked Rambelles all season, as ASU (48-11) was one win away from making a trip to the NCAA Division II Softball Championship. The senior led the team in batting average (.424), on-base percentage (.545) and walks (40). The third baseman slugged .655 with 11 doubles and nine home runs, while finishing the season with 52 RBI.


      Here’s a closer look at the voting breakdown for each award, along with the honorees since 1999:


LSC MALE ATHLETE OF YEAR (Name, School, Year, Sport, Points): Nick Jones, Abilene Christian, Sr., Track and Field, 24; Amini Silatolu, Midwestern State, Sr., Football, 13; Jonathan Woodson, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Jr., Football/Track & Field, 10; Lee Neumann, Angelo State, Jr., Baseball, 5; Milton Garner, Cameron, Sr., Men's Basketball, 4; Isaiah Samoei, Eastern New Mexico, Jr., Cross Country/Track & Field, 3; Dane Hamrick, West Texas A&M, Sr., Track & Field, 1; Brad Hambrick, Texas A&M-Commerce, Sr., Men's Basketball, 0; Chris Johnson, Incarnate Word, Sr., Basketball, 0; Dashaun Phillips, Tarleton State, So., Football, 0.


LSC FEMALE ATHLETE OF YEAR (Name, School, Year, Sport, Points): Elsamartina Apo, Angelo State, Sr., Softball, 16; Julia Mongin, Abilene Christian, Jr., Women's Tennis, 12; Nikki McNorton, Tarleton State, Jr., Volleyball/Track & Field, 12; Sabelle Diata, Cameron, Sr., Women's Basketball, 8; Bailey Vrazel, Texas Woman's, So., Softball, 6; Brissia Montalvo, Midwestern State, Sr., Cross Country, Track, 6; Kim LeComte, West Texas A&M, Sr., Softball, 4; Rachel Robertson, Texas A&M-Commerce, Jr., Volleyball, 2; Amber Perry, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Fr., Track, 0; Flower Castillo, Incarnate Word, So., Golf, 0; Nicole Reid, Eastern New Mexico, Sr., Cross Country, 0.


LONE STAR CONFERENCE ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Year     Male
2012    Nick Jones, Abilene Christian, Sr., Track & Field
2011    Chase Larsson, Cameron, Jr., Baseball
2010    Cyril Bouniol, Abilene Christian, Jr., Golf
2009    Bernard Scott, Abilene Christian, Sr., Football
2008    Sam Belt, Central Oklahoma, Sr., Basketball
2007    Nicodemus Naimadu, Abilene Christian, Sr., CC/Track & Field
2006    Danieal Manning, Abilene Christian, Football
2005    Drew Beard, Southeastern Okla., Football
2004    Cole Province, Central Oklahoma, Wrestling
2003    Olan Coleman, Tarleton State, Football/Track & Field
2002    Steve Kelly, Tarleton State, Football
2001    Roberto Garza, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Football/Track & Field
2000    Roberto Garza, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Football/Track & Field
1999    Eddie Robinson, Central Oklahoma, Basketball
           
Year     Female
2012    Elsamartina Apo, Angelo State, Sr., Softball
2011    Carla Cooper, Tarleton State, Sr., Golf
2010    Aisha Adams, Angelo State, Sr., Track & Field
2009    Emily Brister, West Texas A&M, Sr., Basketball
2008    Emily Brister, West Texas A&M, Jr., Basketball
2007    Emily Brister, West Texas A&M, So., Basketball
2006    Emily Brister, West Texas A&M, Fr., Basketball
2005    Celeste Stevenson, West Texas A&M, Basketball
2004    Michelle Hofmann, Angelo State, Softball
2003    LaTasha Mosley, Angelo State, Track & Field
2002    Brandi Robinson, Southeastern Okla., Basketball
2001    Precious Thibodeaux, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Basketball/Track & Field
2000    Sarah Butler, West Texas A&M, Volleyball
1999    Tracy Barnes, Abilene Christian, Track & Field

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