Conference

RICHARDSON, Texas –– Mississippi College baseball player Tim Bruss, Louisiana College golfer Garrett Greene, University of Texas at Dallas golfer Kristine Chen, Hardin-Simmons University softball player Courtney Clark and tennis player Lisa Mertz, Texas Lutheran University tennis player Cody Fuller and trackster Valerie Clark, and University of Texas at Tyler tennis player Nick Kreines and trickster R.J. Cowan have all earned the title of Distinguished Scholar-Athlete in their respective American Southwest Conference spring sport, the ASC office announced on Friday (May 15).

Overall, 69 student-athletes from ASC baseball, golf, softball, tennis and track and field teams were named to the Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Team.

The honor, in its second academic year, recognizes student-athletes that achieve a higher level of academic achievement (a 3.20 grade-point average or better) while competing as a starter or important reserve on their team. From that list – limited to one nominee per school in each ASC championship sport – the Sports Information Directors from the conference’s 15 member institutions vote on a Distinguished Scholar-Athlete from each sport.

Bruss (Oxford, MS) was an All-ASC First Team selection at second base this year after helping Mississippi College to a 30-16 record and Co-Championship in the ASC East Division. Bruss batted .350 on the diamond while carrying an impressive 3.80 grade point average in business marketing.

Greene (Dry Creek, LA), a senior business management major, will graduate in May as one of less than 50 students who have ever graduated from LC in its entire 103 year history with a 4.0 GPA. Greene has also been a three-time member of the All-ASC Academic Team.

Chen (Plano, TX), a senior business administration major with a 3.867 GPA, was consistently among UTD’s top individual golfers in 2008-09, finishing either first or second individually on the team in most tournaments. She was also an ASC Academic All-Conference selection.

Clark (Elau, TX), a junior education major, was the ASC West Player of the Year and led the ASC in assists and hits. She was also an Academic All-District selection.

Fuller (Cedar Park, TX) and Kreines (Houston, TX) shared the honor for men’s tennis. Fuller, a senior business major with a 3.83 GPA, was a 2009 ASC West Division Second Team selection after winning his final four matches (all in conference play) at No. 2 singles. Fuller was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI First Team selection in 2007. He missed 2008 eligibility for Academic All-District nomination because he studied in China for all of the 2007-08 tennis seasons. Cody, a senior captain, will graduate with honors.Kreines, a junior business major with a 3.96 GPA, is a two-time All-ASC, All-ASC East, Academic All-ASC and ITA Scholar Athlete honoree. In 2008, he was a first team CoSIDA Academic All-District selection for the At-Large category. He was named to the 2008 ASC Men’s Tennis Distinguished Scholar Athlete team.

Mertz (Cleburne, TX), a sophomore, was the ASC West Most Valuable Player and also maintained a 4.0 GPA. She is a nursing major and also an all-ASC selection.

Cowan (Tyler, TX), a graduate student in healthy and kinesiology with a 3.81 GPA, is a two-time All-ASC track performer (2008 and 2009) and a two-time track Academic All-ASC honoree. He was the 2008 ASC Men’s Track Distinguished Scholar Athlete and the 2007 & 2008 ASC Men’s Cross Country Distinguished Scholar Athlete. He was named a 2nd Team Academic All-American by CoSIDA for Track/XC in 2007-2008.

Clark (Salado, TX), a senior kinesiology major with a 3.87 GPA, is a four-year letterwinner on the TLU women’s track & field team. She was a member of four ASC runner-up finishes in the women’s team standings. She won the 2008 ASC Championship in the 400 hurdles. She was a two-time All-ASC performer at the conference championships. In addition to an All-ASC honor in 2008, she was on the conference champion 4x400 meter relay team in 2007. Clark was a 2007-08 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI selection for women’s track & field/women’s cross country.

All eight honorees were named to the Spring 2009 ASC Academic All-Conference Team.

BASEBALL
Name                             School                           Cl.           Major                       Hometown

WOMEN’S TENNIS

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD