- LSC Release

CANYON, TEXAS – West Texas A&M women's track and field champion Blessing Akintoye has been named a recipient of the LSC's top academic honor for the 2025-26 year. Akintoye becomes the fifth women's track and field honoree as the LSC Fred Jacoby Academic Athlete of the Year recipient.
 
A junior health science major carrying a 4.00 grade-point average, Akintoye was named to the just announced 2026 College Sports Communicators NCAA Division II District All-Academic Team in Track and Field after earning CSC Academic All-America First Team honors in 2025. Akintoye has been named LSC Indoor Track and Field Academic Athlete of the Year in each of the last two seasons and has been selected three times to LSC All-Academic Teams -- Indoor Track and Field (2025, '26) and Outdoor Track and Field ('26). She is an LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll recipient each semester at WT.
 
Competing in sprint events, Akintoye claimed LSC Outstanding Track Athlete honors for the indoor season after winning both the 200 and 400-meter dashes, setting the LSC 400m indoor championship record. She capped her indoor season as the NCAA Division II Indoor 400m national champion and national runner-up in 4x400m relay. Akintoye took LSC outdoor titles in the 400m and 4x100m relay before helping West Texas A&M to the NCAA Division II national championship with the 400m and 4x400m relay titles. Akintoye was an LSC Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference First Team honoree.
 
The LSC Academic Athlete of the Year awards are named in honor of late LSC Commissioner Fred Jacoby and are presented for the 19th year. Recipients are determined by vote of the conference sports information directors from the 19 student-athletes selected as the Academic Athlete of the Year in their respective Conference-sponsored sport during 2025-26 seasons.
 
WEST TEXAS A&M AWARD HISTORY
2026 - Blessing Akintoye, Track and Field
2023 - Miriam Zanovello, Track and Field
2021 - Alexander Vencel, Soccer
2018 - Dillon Vaughan, Football
2014 - Dustin Vaughan, Football
2014 - Laura Iwuchukwu, Volleyball
2013 - Dustin Vaughan, Football
2011 - Lauren Thedford, Volleyball
2009 - Emily Brister, Basketball
2008 - Emily Brister, Basketball
2008 - Tyler Cooper, Basketball