The Lee University athletic department had 17 athletes named to the Gulf South Conference Spring All-Academic Team and an additional 158 athletes were named to the honor roll. The spring sports include men and women's tennis, men and women's outdoor track and field, men and women’s golf, baseball, softball, and lacrosse.
Lee had the most athletes in the conference selected as All-Academic members. Mississippi College and the University of West Florida each had 13.
From women’s tennis was Maria Penalver Aguilo and Ashleigh Simes.
Aguilo had a 3.840 in marketing. She was on the First Team All-GSC this year. She was on the honor roll last year. She helped lead the Lady Flames to a three seed in the GSC tournament and their first ever NCAA berth. She was 15-5 in singles and 13-7 in doubles this year.
Ashleigh Simes had a 3.660 GPA in Business Administration. She was the GSC Player of the year and on the first team All-GSC. She was the ITA national player of the year and won the ITA cup in the fall. She has been on the GSC honor roll all four years. She was an All-Academic member last year. She helped lead the Lady Flames to a three seed in the GSC tournament and their first ever NCAA berth. She went 23-3 in singles and 14-6 in doubles this year. She was a College Sports Communicators Academic All-American and was named the GSC Commissioner Trophy winner.
On the lacrosse team Callie Curtis and Noelle Harrington were recognized. Curtis has a 3.736 GPA in Elementary Education. She was on the second team All-GSC this year. She has been on the GSC honor roll three times. Curtis had the eighth most goals this season in the GSC scoring just under two a game. She had the seventh most shots this year in the GSC. She was also fifth in draw controls in the GSC as well. Her shots on goal percentage was .677. She was named GSC player of the week once.
Harrington has a 3.680 GPA in biology. She was on the second team All-GSC and has been on the honor roll three times. Harrington played and started every game for Lee. She was third in goals and fourth in assists. Her shots on goal percentage was .902 for the year. She was fourth in ground balls on the team as well.
From men’s golf, Bennett McNabb was named all-academic. McNabb has a 3.391 GPA in Business Management. He was on the First Team All-Region and First Team All GSC. He was an Academic Honor roll member last season. In the first round of the NCAA Championships, he shot a 66. He came in 51st at the NCAA regional with a 221. At the GSC championship he came in ninth with a 221.
From women’s golf, Banthita Phoncharatkun and Olivia Ireland were recognized. Phoncharatkun had a 3.598 in Business Management. She was on the First Team All-GSC the last two years, was an All-Academic member last year and was on the honor roll the last two seasons. She came in 61st at the NCAA regional with a 229 and was 7th in the GSC Championship with a 233.
Olivia Ireland has a 3.973 GPA in finance. She has been on the honor roll twice. At the GSC Championships she came in 12th with a 238. At the NCAA regional she came in 43rd with a 227.
Alexa Scalzo was the first Lee softball all-academic member since 2022. She had a 3.605 GPA in marketing. She was a First Team D2CCA All-South Region as well as on the First Team All-GSC. She was in the top seven in batting average in the GSC. She was in the top four in hits. Scalzo scored more runs than anyone else in the GSC by nine during the regular season and the top 15 for RBI. She was also in the top ten in doubles, and top six for home runs in the GSC. She is in the top five for steals and top 12 in hit by pitch. Defensively, she led in assists by double digits in the GSC. She also leads in fielding double plays. She was also on the GSC honor roll three times.
JJ Williams from Lee baseball has a 3.88 GPA in psychology. He was on the second team All-GSC. Williams was a dynamic hitter this season. He was in the tenth in the GSC in hits and 11th in runs scored. He was in top seven in the GSC in doubles and third in triples. As the leadoff hitter, he had the most at bats during the regular season in the conference and ended the year in 8th. He is also in the top five in stolen bases. In the outfield, he had 106 putouts with just one error.
Women’s track and field had four all academic members. Lily Hare, Liezl Theron, Ashlyn Iliff, and Katie Krueger. Hare had a 3.75 GPA in elementary education. She was on the indoor track and field and cross country all academic teams this year. She won the 800-meter race at the GSC championships and came in second in the 1500-meter race. She qualified for the NCAA Championships and finished in 11th in the 1500-meter race. She has been on three total GSC All-Academic. She has been on the honor roll every semester at Lee.
Liezl Theron had a 3.62 GPA in biological sciences. She was on the indoor track and field all-academic team this year and both indoor and outdoor all academic last year. She was the Field athlete of the year in the GSC. She qualified for nationals in the high jump for the first time. She finished in second place at the NCAA National Championships in May. At the GSC Championships she won the high jump, came in third in the long jump and was sixth in the 100 hurdles. She has been on the honor roll every semester at Lee.
Ashlyn Iliff has a 3.82 GPA in psychology. She was on the cross country all-academic team this year. She won the 3000-meter steeple chase at the GSC championships and came in seventh in the 400-meter hurdles. She has been on the honor roll every semester at Lee.
Katie Krueger has a 3.99 GPA in political science. She was on the cross country all academic teams the last two years. She has been on the honor roll every semester at Lee. She won the 10,000-meter run at the GSC Championship and ninth in the 5000-meter run.
Cameron Stine, Luke Gaddis, Stephen Cameron Stine, and Jacob Hatcher were the four Flames from men’s track and field honored. Stine had a 3.26 GPA in digital media studies. He was on the 2024 indoor all-academic team. He won the decathlon at the GSC Championships. He has been on the honor roll every semester at Lee.
Luke Gaddis has a 4.0 GPA in biology. He was the GSC Champion Scholar Athlete at this year’s GSC Indoor championship. He was on both the All-Academic teams for indoor track and cross country. He came in third at the 3000-meter outdoor championship and 5th at the 5000-meter run. He qualified for the 3000-meter steeplechase in the NCAA Championship and came in fifth.
Stephen Clark has a 3.65 GPA in accounting. He won the 3000-meter steeplechase and came in tenth in the 800-meter. He qualified for the NCAA Championships in the steeplechase and came in seventh. He has been on the honor roll every semester at Lee.
Jacob Hatcher had a 3.67 GPA while earning an MBA. His undergrad GPA was 3.30 in health science. He was on the 2024 indoor all-academic team as well as the 2023 cross country all-academic team. He came in third in the 1500-meter at the GSC championships and sixth in the 800-meter run. He qualified for the 1500 meter run in the NCAA Championships and came in 21st
To achieve honor roll status, a student-athlete must have a grade point average of 3.00 or better and have competed in outside competition at the time the award was announced.
To be named to the GSC All-Academic team, nominees must have a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or better their entire academic career at their institution and may not be a freshmen or first-term transfer. The student-athlete must also be a significant contributor to the team. Other factors include leadership, community service, and extracurricular activities. Institutions are not allowed to vote for their student-athletes. The number of student-athletes selected in each sport is determined by the number of positions normally involved in the playing of that sport. Ties are not broken.
1,190 total spring student-athletes were named to the Academic Honor and 88 student-athletes earned GSC All-Academic Team accolades.
Sport Breakdown: Baseball led all represented sports with 297 honor roll names, softball (213), men’s track & field (161), women track & field (124), and women’s lacrosse (110) comprised the top five.
Making the Grade: 107 student-athletes named to the honor list had an undergrad GPA of 4.00. In addition, 667 posted a 3.50 or better, and 367 had a 3.75 or better.
Honor Roll Centurions: Three schools had at least 100 student-athletes on the honor roll list—Montevallo (159), Lee (158), UAH (140).
All-Academic Breakdown: 12 schools had at least one GSC All-Academic selection … Lee led the way with 17, while Mississippi College and West Florida followed with 13 apiece.