- LSC Release (Academic / Athletic)
CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M Outdoor Track & Field continued to add to their already impressive campaign on Thursday morning as the league announced their annual awards from the conference offices in Richardson, Texas.
Luke Holcombe was named the men's Academic Athlete of the Year as the senior studying sports and exercise science with a 4.00 grade-point average. He has earned multiple LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll awards. Competing in throwing events – shot put, discus and hammer throw – Holcombe is a two-time USTFCCCA All-Region honoree. He placed second in the hammer throw and third in shot put at the 2025 LSC Outdoor Track and Field Championships and qualified for his second Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in shot put with a 17.89 meters toss.
Joining Holcombe on the men's outdoor track and field All-Academic Team is two-time All-Academic Team honoree Aiden Zingone of Lubbock Christian (2024-25); Tristan Guerro, Angelo State; Luke Browning, DBU; Caden Nunn and Alfons Rawall of LCU; Brandon Arenas, Jackson Crysup and Ashton Turner of UT Tyler;
Romet Vahter, West Texas A&M; and George Peru, Western New Mexico.
The women's All-Academic Team was highlighted by Texas A&M-Kingsville's Jazmin Ray. Ray is joined on the women's outdoor track and field All-Academic Team by Maricia Spence, Angelo State; Meadow Housman and Courtney Richman, DBU; Meghan Rodriguez and Jordian Stewart, Eastern New Mexico; Vitiana Robert, Texas A&M-Kingsville; Isabel Jakobsen, UT Tyler; and
Blessing Akintoye,
Leah Belfield and
Julie Lafare of West Texas A&M.
Aziz Mohammed won the Cap Shelton Award, which goes to the most outstanding male track athlete. Mohammed, who is a senior and native of Dunkwa-on-offin, Central, Ghana, won both the 800-meters (1:48.46) and 1,500-meters (3:46.30). He totaled 20 points at the conference meet.
Romet Vahter claimed the Oscar Strahan Award, which is given to the most outstanding male field athlete. Vahter, who is a sophomore and native of Kuressaare, Estonia, was the men's high-point scorer at the conference meet with 20.50. He earned points in the javelin (third place; 56.02m), 110 hurdles, high jump, long jump and pole vault.
Matt Stewart won Coach of the Year honors on both the men's and women's side for the fifth consecutive year after sweeping conference titles for the fifth straight year.
The list of all-conference performers includes the first team, which consists of event winners, all members of the winning relay teams, and athletes scoring 14 or more points at the LSC Championships. The second team includes athletes on the second-place relay teams and those scoring 8-13.9 points, while the third team recognizes members of third-place relay teams and athletes scoring 6-7.9 points. The individual awards were voted upon by the league coaches.
The 2025 NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships are set for May 22-24 at CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl in Pueblo, Colorado.
