Sun Belt Conference Men's Student-Athlete of the Year
R.J. Hunter · Georgia State · Men's Basketball
R.J. Hunter finished his three-year career at Georgia State as a two-time Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and two-time AP All-America Honorable Mention honoree. Hunter repeated as the Sun Belt Conference Male Athlete of the Year (All Sports) after also earning all-conference first-team honors and all-tournament team honors this year.
This year, he led the Panthers to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 14 years. His 30-footer with 2.6 seconds remaining shocked No. 3-seed Baylor which had led by 12 points with 2:53 remaining. Hunter scored 12 of the 13 points in the comeback.
Hunter is the only player in school history to earn all-conference first-team honors three times. He has been a finalist for the Lou Henson Award given to the top mid-major player in the country each of the last two years.
He finished the 2015-16 season with a school-record 688 points scored, shattering the previous mark of 635 points. Hunter finished the year among the top-25 in the NCAA in points per game, total points, free throw percentage, steals per game, minutes per game, field goals attempted, free throws made and free throws attempted.
Hunter finished his career as Georgia State’s all-time leading scorer with 1,819 points. He is also the career leader in 3-pointers, 3-point attempts, field goal attempts, free throws made and free throw percentage.
Following the season, Hunter announced plans to enter the NBA Draft, but plans to finish his degree in psychology in the near future.
Sun Belt Conference Women's Student-Athlete of the Year
Edina Begic · UALR · Women's Volleyball
Edina Begic has won numerous awards in her four-year career at UALR, both athletic and academic. Begic has earned First Team All-Sun Belt honors and been voted the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year each of the last three season. Begic has been named to the AVCA All-Region Team and earned the status as an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention in 2013 and 2014.
In 2014, Begic was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week eight times, breaking her own NCAA and Sun Belt record of seven in 2013. Over her four-year career, Begic has been named the Offensive Player of the Week on 18 occasions. After her incredible performance at the Sun Belt Tournament, Begic was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
Begic holds the UALR record for most career kills at 2,189, fourth-most in Sun Belt history and second-most in the rally-scoring era. Begic ended her career as the NCAA Division I active career kills leader.
Academically, Begic has garnered two Academic All-District awards in addition to being named twice to the Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll and once to the SBC Commissioner’s List. She is a member of Golden Key International Honor Society and the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society.
In the community, Begic has been a volunteer coach with the Little Rock Juniors Volleyball club, educating young girls on the sport she loves. Begic has also volunteered with the Miracle League of Arkansas, an organization that brings baseball to disabled children.
Sun Belt Conference Men's Postgraduate-Scholar Athlete
Chris Locandro · Georgia State · Men's Soccer
A native of Kennesaw, Ga., Chris Locandro was a three-time all-conference defender for the Georgia State men’s soccer program. He started all 55 games he played in for the Panthers and totaled more than 4,971 minutes. Locandro was a rock in the center of the GSU defense that he helped record 16 shutouts over three seasons. After redshirting due to injury in 2013, the center back was named to the All-Sun Belt first team as a senior after helping the Panthers finish second in the conference standings. Locandro started every game for Georgia State in 2012 en route to earning third-team all-conference honors. As a freshman, he led the Panthers to an NCAA berth and was named to the 2011 NSCAA All-South Atlantic region third team to go with first-team all-conference recognition.
A neuroscience and mathematics double major, Locandro graduated with a 3.74 GPA and earned a Capital One Academic All-District 4 selection as a senior. During his time in Atlanta, he was named to the President’s List twice, Dean’s List four times and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll once. Locandro presented his research on epilepsy at the SYNAPSE conference hosted by the Medical University of South Carolina, and he plans to attend medical school after leaving GSU.
Sun Belt Conference Women's Postgraduate-Scholar Athlete
Nicole Steyl · Appalachian State · Women's Soccer
One of Appalachian State’s most accomplished student-athletes on and off the field, Nicole Steyl the recipient of the Sun Belt Conference’s 2015 female postgraduate scholar-athlete award.
As a member of Appalachian State’s women’s soccer program from 2011-14, Steyl started every game of her collegiate career and ranks second in program history with 76 career starts. A core member of the Mountaineers’ defensive backline, she tallied nine points (one goal, seven assists) in her career, including a goal and four assists as a senior in 2014.
In the classroom, Steyl compiled a 3.97 grade point average and graduated from Appalachian State in May with a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders. She was a member of the Southern Conference, Sun Belt Conference and Appalachian State athletics’ academic honor rolls and helped Appalachian’s women’s soccer program earn several academic plaudits as a team, including an NCAA Public Recognition Award in 2015.
In the fall, Steyl will attend the University of North Carolina to pursue a master’s degree in communication disorders and speech pathology.
Sun Belt Conference Leadership Team
Stanley Broaden · Appalachian State · Men's Soccer
Stanley Broaden is a decorated two-sport athlete at Appalachian State, excelling as an all-conference performer in both men’s soccer and track and field.
During his four-year soccer career (2011-14), Broaden scored 14 goals and tallied eight assists for 36 points. He was named first-team all-Sun Belt Conference in 2014 and first-team all-Southern Conference in 2013.
A Sun Belt Player of the Week honoree, he was also recognized as a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Southeast Region team in 2014. He earned second-team all-academic honors from the NSCAA in 2013.
In track and field, Broaden won two conference titles at the 2015 Sun Belt Championships, earning first-place finishes in the 110-meter hurdles and the 400-meter hurdles. He was named the Sun Belt’s Most Outstanding Performer for 2015 and ranks third all-time at App State for his time in the 400-meter hurdles (51.58 seconds).
Away from the pitch/track, Broaden is the president of Appalachian State’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and represented the Sun Belt at the 2015 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum.
He graduated from Appalachian State in May with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. He will begin working towards a master’s degree in the fall while participating in his final season for Appalachian track and field in 2015-16.
Gus Leeper · UALR · Men's Basketball
Gus Leeper ends his career at UALR as one of the most academically accomplished student-athletes in department history. Leeper graduated in May 2015 with a 3.9 GPA as a double-major in international business and business management. He has been named to the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List at the end of each academic year since coming to UALR.
In 2013, he was one of nine students from UALR’s College of Business named to its Ambassadors Program, which provides networking and experience opportunities by pairing high achievers with Little Rock-area business leaders. In the summer of 2013, he studied abroad in Guadalajara, Mexico and held an internship in the regulatory department at Windstream in Little Rock. This summer, Leeper will start a position with Stephens Inc. – one of the most successful and respected independent financial services firms in the country – as part of the company’s private client group.
On the court, Leeper was voted a team captain prior to the start of his senior season. He played in 30 games, averaging 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game in 2014-15. He ends his career in the top 10 on UALR’s list for career games played (113).
As a freshman in 2010-11, Leeper helped lead UALR to its first-ever Sun Belt Tournament title and first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1990. That season, Leeper started eight of the season’s final nine games, including all four of the Trojan’s SBC Tournament games and the NCAA Tournament contest against UNC Asheville, while his minutes per game increased to 18.6 over that same span.
He reached double figures in scoring for what was then just the second time in the 2011 SBC Championship game, totaling 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting over a season-high 27 minutes in UALR’s 64-63 victory over North Texas.
Jordan Adams · Arkansas State · Women's Soccer
Since arriving at Arkansas State in the fall of 2012, Jordan Adams has immersed herself into all aspects of the college experience. In just three seasons she has amassed 54 caps on the soccer pitch, fourth most in school history, been named a team-captain as a junior and helped the Red Wolves reach the semifinals (2013) of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the first time in school history. She serves as the anchor of the defensive back line for the A-State soccer team, which has become one of the toughest units to score goals against since her arrival.
In addition to her success on the field, Adams excels in the classroom as well. She has a 3.5 GPA and will graduate in December of 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. She was named to the Arkansas State Dean’s List for the 2013-14 academic year and has also been a consistent name on the A-State AD Honor Roll she her freshman season.
Outside of athletics and the classroom, Adams volunteers her time to Habitat for Humanity and works local youth soccer clinics in the Jonesboro area. She is also an active member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) where she serves as the organization’s secretary. She is also a member of the FCA Leadership Team and is chair of the Howl for Health Fair at A-State.
This summer, Adams is one of several A-State student-athletes taking part in the first study abroad program offered by any university and their athletics department in the nation. The program goes hand-in-hand with the Red Wolves Leadership Academy, designed with the sole purpose to obtain 100 percent job placement for ALL student-athletes upon graduation.
Katey Lippitt · Georgia Southern · Women's Soccer
Katey Lippitt completed her junior season in 2014, serving as team captain for the second-straight season. A native of Lawrenceville, Ga., Katey is a business admisistration major with an emphasis in sales marketing and a minor in international studies. She has earned Dean’s List honors five times over her career, most recently in the Fall of 2014.
As a freshman, Katey started every game as the Eagles’ won the 2012 SoCon Tournament Championship and the program’s first and only trip to the NCAA tournament. Among her numerous off the field involvements, Katey works with Young Life, Athletes in Action, and the Georgia Southern Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement as a site leader for Alternative Spring Break. Katey also worked an internship with Soccer Without Borders, traveling to Uganda with the organization in January of 2014.
In the summer of 2015, Katey worked as an intern with Wastequip, one of the world leaders in the manufacture of recycling equipment.
Ryann Green · Georgia State · Men's Basketball
Ryann Green may have finished his four years at Georgia State by putting together a career-game when it mattered most, but his stint with the Panthers was defined by much more.
After serving as a walk-on for three years, Green was put on scholarship for his senior season because of his hard work and dedication to the game on and off the court. He graduated with degree in finance after earning Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (3.5 GPA or higher) four times. Green was also honored on the 2013 NABC Honors Court and was one of 30 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award this season.
During his senior season, he played in all 35 games, making 27 starts and earning season career-highs in every statistical category. In Georgia State’s return to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 14 years, Green scored a career-high 11 points, knocking down three 3-pointers as the Panthers shocked No. 3-seed Baylor. His defensive presence keyed a 13-0 run to end the game after Georgia State trailed by 12 points with 2:53 to play.
He finished the season averaging 3.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in just over 20 minutes per game. Stepping up at the biggest time, Green played 61 minutes in the Sun Belt tournament, swiping five steals.
In his four years, he was a part of a school-record 87 wins, while becoming one of just a handful of players to make three postseason appearances.
Evan Tatford · UL Lafayette · Football
As a junior for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns football team in 2014, Evan Tatford played in all 13 games, serving as a reserve tight end and a valuable member of the special teams. In his first season with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Tatford caught passes in games against Southern University, Boise State and Texas State, and helped Louisiana record its fourth consecutive nine-win season, culminated by a fourth straight win in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
In the classroom, Tatford has been a member of both the Dean’s List and President’s List at UL and carries a 3.76 grade point average in biology. Tatford was named the UL Male Student-Athlete of the Year for the 2014-15 academic year and is currently serving a two-year term as the Sun Belt Conference representative on the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
A native of Lafayette, La., Tatford has been a member of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Student-Athlete Advisory Committee since transferring from Tulane after the 2012 season. He has been active in many community service projects with the Ragin' Cajuns, including visiting local hospitals, participating in the "Big Event" and working with Special Olympics, raising money for the annual Adopt A Family for Christmas, and coordinating the annual Welcome Back Convocation for Ragin' Cajuns student-athletes and staff.
Mackenzie Miller · UL Monroe · Softball
Senior Mackenzie Miller has been a standout athlete on and off the field at ULM. A staple in the lineup, Miller made 192 career starts in the ULM outfield. Miller closed out her senior season in 2015 with a .219 career average.
Miller notched 98 hits in four seasons as a Warhawk with 18 doubles, two triples and five homers to account for a .277 slugging percentage. Miller batted in 44 runs while scoring a total of 68 runs in herself in her career. A speedster on the bags, Miller stole 56 career bases to rank eighth on ULM’s career leaders list. In the class room, the senior is a standard of academic excellence with her name being a common sight on ULM’s dean’s list as well as making the Sun Belt’s Commissioner’s Honor Roll in both 2013 and 2014.
Miller graduated with her bachelor’s degree in biology this May. Off the field, the Evergreen, Colo., native is an active member on ULM campus. Miller served as a member of ULM Prep an organization that serves to orient incoming students to collegiate life at ULM.
Miller also served as the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee that served the highlight the efforts of ULM student athlete through various academic and community service projects.
Nini Rabsatt-Smith · South Alabama · Women's Soccer
The 2014 Sun Belt Conference women’s soccer Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-league selection, on the field Rabsatt-Smith helped lead South Alabama to the SBC regular season title as well as its second straight conference tournament championship and NCAA Tournament berth.
The junior finished with five goals and 13 points as the Jaguars posted a 19-3-1 overall record — including an 8-0-1 mark in the Sun Belt — as she was also named to the all-tournament team for the second year in a row. Off the field, Rabsatt-Smith is a member of the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society and National Society of Collegiate Scholars as well as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and she has appeared on the SBC Commissioner’s List and Academic Honor Roll the last two years.
This year she was an Upward Bound youth basketball coach, and participated in both the JaguarsCare National Day of Service and the Bay Community Baptist Church’s “Fight the Hunger” events.
Darien McLemore · UT Arlington · Baseball
Darien McLemore started 42 games during the 2015 season, while seeing action in 42. The infielder hit .238 with 16 runs and 14 RBI during his junior campaign, helping the Mavericks to their second straight SBC Championship appearance.
A native of Southlake, McLemore was clutch for the Mavericks down the stretch, hitting .364 in the month of May with a .455 slugging percentage. McLemore's individual success was a key component of the team's success as he hit .338 with a slugging percentage of .446 and an on-base percentage of .353 in UTA's 24 victories.
McLemore notched 12 mutli-hit and four multi-RBI games in the season, while also putting together a season-high hit streak of six games. McLemore registered his best weekend in conference play against UALR where he went 5-for-8 with four RBI and three runs. He currently is hitting .263 during his career with the Mavericks, while batting in 69 runs and recording 22 doubles.
McLemore also served as the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee during the 2014-15 academic year, which included a trip to Haltom High School where he talked to students about how to prepare academically for College.
McLemore is a Business management major and is the son of Mark and Capri McLemore.
Justin Newby · Texas State · Men's Golf
Had a scoring average of 72.94, in 2014-15. That is the second best in the modern era. Named Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt Conference. Had 16 rounds of par or better, third most in the modern era at Texas State.
Finished the year with four eagles, second most in a single season. Set single round record at the Price’s Give em Five event in El Paso with a 7-under-par 65. (Oct. 24-26). Both his total score and his score in relation to par are modern era bests.
He finished the event in El Paso with a 54-hole total of 16-under-par 200, giving him the best 54 hole score since 1993-94, breaking the previous best of 8-under-par 208, which was last shot by Stuart Smallwood at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in 2014.
Had three top-10 finishes, including two straight to end the season at the Reveille Challenge (T-9) and the Sun Belt Conference Tournament (April 19-21).
Langley Vannoy · Troy · Women's Golf
Langley Vannoy helped lay the foundation for a Troy women’s golf team that has become the premier program in the Sun Belt Conference. The Trojans won back-to-back Sun Belt titles in her final two seasons and advanced to the program’s first ever berths in the NCAA Division I Regionals.
An All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team selection this past season, Vannoy finished the year with a 76.17 stroke average, which ranks as the sixth best in a single-season in school history. A native of Pensacola, Fla., Vannoy finishes her career fourth all-time in school history with a 77.34 stroke average. She led the Trojans at the 2015 Sun Belt Championship with a third-place finish, as Troy won the event by 12 strokes.
Vannoy also had a tremendous impact off the field of play, as she was the president of Troy’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Additionally, Vannoy received the Director of Athletics Trojan Way Leadership Award as Troy’s Trojan Tribute Award Show.
The Trojan Way Leadership Award was highest honor awarded as it is given to the student-athlete who is the epitome of a Troy student-athlete and is the true definition a student-athlete leader not only at Troy but in the community.