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RICHARDSON, Texas –– The athletic training staffs at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Mississippi College and University of Texas at Dallas were each named by their peers as Division winners of the American Southwest Conference Athletic Training Staff of the Year awards for the 2008-09 academic year. The three member institutions were honored on Wednesday (Dec. 9) during the annual ASC Athletic Trainers meeting in Dallas.

Mary Hardin-Baylor was presented with the West Division honor for the third time. UMHB head athletic trainer Billy Ray Laxton was assisted in 2008-09 by Elizabeth Maybin and Ashley Bryant. Mary Hardin-Baylor was also honored in 2004-05 and 2006-07.

Mississippi College and Texas-Dallas shared the East Division award. MC’s head athletic trainer is Matt Verret and he received helped in 2008-09 by assistant Nicole McMorris and graduate assistants Damian Breaux and Nicole Saverino. UTD head athletic trainer Larry Gardner was assisted in 2008-09 by Kurt Kammerer and Maria Rosanelli. MC was honored for the first time, while UTD took the annual award for the third time (also 2004-05 and 2006-07).

The ASC Athletic Training Staff of the Year award is presented by the Conference following voting by the membership’s athletic training staffs. All full-time athletic training staff members must be in good standing with professional organizations and be either NATA or state licensed, and the head athletic trainer must have been at the institution for a minimum of two years to be considered for the award.

The 2008-09 awards are the fifth presented by the ASC. Hardin-Simmons University (West), Howard Payne University (West), East Texas Baptist University (East) and University of the Ozarks (East) have also been honored before.

ALL-TIME ASC ATHLETIC TRAINING STAFF OF THE YEAR WINNERS