RICHARDSON, Texas - Acts of sportsmanship in competition, on campus and within the community earned
Justin Ardis of UT Dallas and
Aubrianna Salazar of Hardin-Simmons recognition as the 2022-23 American Southwest Conference Fred Jacoby Sportsmanship Athletes of the Year, the ASC announced Thursday.
The ASC Fred Jacoby Sportsmanship Award honors each year a male and female student-athlete who best display attributes of sportsmanship, leadership, citizenship and academic integrity in his or her athletic, academic and life pursuits. The conference Directors of Athletics present the annual awards.
Ardis, a senior men’s cross country player from Katy, Texas, earned 2022 ASC Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year for men’s cross country. He is also a two-time Academic All-Conference recipient. Ardis recorded a career-best 8k time of 28:57.2 at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival and was a top 50 finish at the ASC Championship.
At a race last fall an athlete on the UTD men’s team had an asthma attack during the race. Ardis ran by this individual and saw that he was having trouble breathing, Ardis stopped his race to get spectator's attention in order to get this individual medical attention. He stayed with the athlete for about a minute, after seeing that people were coming to help our athlete, Ardis then finished his race. By stopping, Justin “ruined” his own race to make sure his teammate will receive the necessary help. We feel that this selfless act of sportsmanship is something that should be recognized and commended.
Salazar, a junior softball player from Abilene, Texas, was the 2023 ASC Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year for softball. She was named All-ASC Third Team for pitcher the past two seasons and is a two-time selection on the ASC Academic All-Conference.
“Salazar is the heart of our [HSU] program,” Hardin-Simmons Head Coach Chanin Billings praised. “She is a local player who grew up two blocks from our field. She has not only made a big impact on the softball field but off the field as well. She spends all her free time training the local players and even coaches a team at their tournaments after our series. The game she tore her ACL her travel ball team came to the field to run out with the Cowgirls. Salazar inspires the younger generation of softball players and her fellow teammates. After battling an arm injury all season an ACL tear ended her year, and still she was in the crowd that game supporting her teammates. That same game was my 100th win and when seeing her afterwards her first words to me were, "we got your 100th win". It’s never about her, it’s always about her teammates and about the game. There's no player or person I respect more in my time coaching.”
2022-23 Fred Jacoby Sportsmanship Award Nominees
| Men |
|
|
|
| Baseball |
Rhett Grosz |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Jr. |
| Basketball |
James Curtis |
UT Dallas |
Sr. |
| Cross Country |
Justin Ardis |
UT Dallas |
Sr. |
| Golf |
Travis Skorheim |
Concordia Texas |
Gr. |
| Golf |
Brady Nelson |
Howard Payne |
Sr. |
| Soccer |
Russell Gray |
Sul Ross State |
Sr. |
| Tennis / East Division |
Landon Ferree |
Howard Payne |
Jr. |
| Tennis / East Division |
Julian Lee |
LeTourneau |
Sr. |
| Tennis / West Division |
Davyn Williford |
Hardin-Simmons |
Sr. |
| Track & Field |
Jacob White |
LeTourneau |
Sr. |
| Women |
|
|
|
| Basketball |
Mollie Dittmar |
East Texas Baptist |
Jr. |
| Cross Country |
Holly Dasher |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Sr. |
| Golf |
Lilly Self |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Jr. |
| Soccer |
Hannah Purl |
East Texas Baptist |
Fr. |
| Softball |
Aubrianna Salazar |
Hardin-Simmons |
Jr. |
| Tennis / East Division |
Suzuka Nishino |
UT Dallas |
Sr. |
| Tennis / West Division |
Kayla Pena |
Concordia Texas |
So. |
| Tennis / West Division |
Reagan Ramsey |
Sul Ross State |
Jr. |
| Track & Field |
Lynda Farmer |
Hardin-Simmons |
Sr. |
| Volleyball |
Catherine Croft |
UT Dallas |
Sr. |
|
|
|
|
Fred Jacoby Sportsmanship Athletes of the Year
| Year |
Men |
Women |
| 1999-00 |
Joe Fox, Austin |
Courtney Shires, Mississippi College |
| 2000-01 |
Michael Kawazoe, Austin |
Sarah Birge, Austin |
| 2001-02 |
Phil Kaiser, Ozarks |
Lindsey Brotherton, Schreiner |
| 2002-03 |
Preston Meyer, Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Julie Richardson, Ozarks |
| 2003-04 |
Cody Brotherton, McMurry |
Lyndsay Llewellyn, McMurry |
| 2004-05 |
Drew McMaster, Howard Payne |
Katie DeDeaux, Mississippi College |
| 2005-06 |
Kyle Shipp, Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Bethany Harris, Mississippi College |
| 2006-07 |
Ryan Potter, LeTourneau |
Michelle Heckmann, Concordia Texas |
| 2007-08 |
Tyler Winford, Mississippi College |
Lindsey Peters, UT Tyler |
| 2008-09 |
Ty Palmer, Texas Lutheran |
Krissy Seaman, UT Dallas |
| 2009-10 |
David Ashlock, UT Tyler (co) |
Kristen Chapman, LeTourneau |
|
Sam Walker, Hardin-Simmons (co) |
|
| 2010-11 |
Ryan Yezak, East Texas Baptist |
Whitney Wyly, UT Tyler |
| 2011-12 |
Collin Janssen, Concordia Texas |
Hannah Langley, Mississippi College |
| 2012-13 |
Marcus Bobb, Ozarks |
Jennifer Cooper, Mississippi College |
| 2013-14 |
Zakk Revelle, Sul Ross State |
Samantha Guerrero, Howard Payne |
| 2014-15 |
Andrew Cummings, Ozarks (tri) |
Jordana Andrews, Ozarks |
|
Matt Weaver, Ozarks (tri) |
|
|
Isaiah Minick, Mary Hardin-Baylor (tri) |
|
| 2015-16 |
Xavier Scarlett, LeTourneau (co) |
Cheyenne Dowdey, Mary Hardin-Baylor |
|
Seth Walters, LeTourneau (co) |
|
| 2016-17 |
Conner Combs, East Texas Baptist |
Alisa Wilson, LeTourneau |
| 2017-18 |
Caleb Thomasson, Sul Ross State |
Abby Weaver, East Texas Baptist |
| 2018-19 |
Beau Billings, East Texas Baptist |
Marlee Blackwell, Belhaven (co) |
|
|
Mullika Seekhieo, East Texas Baptist (co) |
| 2020-21 |
Kaden Treybig, Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Rachel Kahler, UT Dallas |
| 2021-22 |
Justin Moore, LeTourneau |
Suzuka Nishino, UT Dallas |