Lion Athletics’ Success in the Classroom Continues in Fall 2023
COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce athletic department excelled once again in the classroom during the fall 2023 semester, having earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.08 following the fall semester.
Along with the athletic department boasting a 3.08 cumulative GPA following the fall semester, 13 of the 14 teams achieved a semester GPA of 3.00 or higher in the fall. This is the highest number of teams to earn this distinction in any one semester outside of the COVID-19 affected Spring 2020 semester.
“Academic achievement is a hallmark of A&M-Commerce Athletics, and this past semester’s accomplishments in the classroom are just another reflection of our unwavering commitment to serve, win and transform,” said Director of Athletics Jim Curry. “Congratulations to our teams and individual student-athletes for successfully balancing their obligations in the classroom with the demands of Division I athletics.”
Additionally, a total of 213 out of the 327 student-athletes recorded GPAs of 3.00 or above in the fall semester, including 42 who posted perfect 4.0 GPAs, this fall. The athletic department also celebrated 26 graduates during fall commencement ceremonies.
Curry added, “Thank you to our student-athlete academic support team and our coaches for ensuring the primacy of education, along with the faculty, advisors, mentors, tutors, and many other university professionals who tirelessly support our students on a daily basis.”
“I am always excited to see the achievements of our student-athletes at the end of each semester and this fall was no exception,” said Tammi Vacha-Haase, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “Despite the rigorous challenges of being a Division I student-athlete, our students continue to excel in the classroom. I am thankful for our faculty and staff that provide our student-athletes the necessary resources to succeed in the classroom.”
Below is the list of the 13 programs that posted a term GPA of 3.00 or above this fall.
| TEAM | GPA |
| Women’s Golf | 3.70 |
| Volleyball | 3.61 |
| Men’s Golf | 3.50 |
| Softball | 3.44 |
| Men’s Cross Country | 3.35 |
| Soccer | 3.33 |
| Women’s Cross Country | 3.17 |
| Women’s Basketball | 3.12 |
| Women’s Track & Field- Indoor & Outdoor | 3.07 |
| Men’s Basketball | 3.03 |
| Men’s Track & Field- Indoor & Outdoor | 3.01 |
The full list of 213 student-athletes that recorded term GPAs of 3.00 or above in the fall can be found below. Those marked with a ‘*’ earned a perfect 4.0 semester GPA.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
| Name | Major |
| Kwo Agwa | General Studies |
| Rob Banks | General Studies |
| Prince Davies | General Studies |
| Alonzo Dodd | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Zondrick Garrett | General Studies |
| Tommie Lewis | General Studies |
| Evan Phelps | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Brandon Taylor | Communication Studies |
| James “Pop” Weathers | General Studies |
| Kalen Williams | General Studies |
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
| Name | Major |
| Jordyn Beaty | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Mia Deck | Business Administration |
| Mary Delgado | Health Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Lucia Hervia* | Accounting |
| Jada Hood | Applied Criminology |
| Cora Horvath* | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Jordyn Newsome | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Jasmine Payne | Psychology |
| Olivia Russell | Business Administration |
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
| Name | Major |
| Yosef Abdulrazeq | Accounting |
| Ryan Armendariz | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Joe Cruz | Computer Science |
| Chris Flores | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Jeremiah Garcia | Construction Engineering |
| Kai Johnson | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Jan Lenfert | Business Administration |
| Chris Navarrete | Computer Information Systems |
| Casey Novelo* | Electrical Engineering |
| Connor Rohman | Accounting |
| Josh Schutter | Marketing |
| Alex Speer* | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Colten van Voorhis* | Computer Science |
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
| Name | Major |
| Alondra Campa | Public Health |
| Elizabeth Ibarra | Finance |
| Emma Phillips | Agribusiness |
| Anete Randma* | Technology Management |
| Haleigh Risner | Biological Sciences |
FOOTBALL
| Name | Major |
| AJ Abbott | General Studies |
| Brody Bobst | General Studies |
| Reggie Branch | Criminal Justice |
| Kyle Bruce | General Studies |
| Nick Cantillo | Management |
| Cole Cates | Construction Engineering |
| Bryce Chambers | General Studies |
| Zayden Davis | General Studies |
| Jewelz-Unique Demps | Supply Chain Management |
| Chandler Donaway | Business Administration |
| Micaleous Elder | General Studies |
| Max Epps | Health Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Clifford Funderburk | Business Administration |
| Andy Gallegos | Public Health |
| Braxton Garmon | Construction Engineering |
| Matthew Goldman | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Sloan Hubert | Agribusiness |
| Kion Hurd | General Studies |
| Jadin Jones | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Josiah Kennard | General Business |
| Preston Kilgore | Criminal Justice |
| Sean-Krystoff King | Computer Science |
| Daimon LaFrance | General Studies |
| Thomas Landry | Criminal Justice |
| Spencer Long | Graduate Certificate – Sports Coaching |
| Mirko Martos | Business Administration |
| Mitchell McGarry | Business Administration |
| Cameron Nellor | Management |
| EJ Oakmon | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Jason Otah | Biological Sciences |
| Kendall Paul | General Studies |
| Christian Perry | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Jordan Polk | Graduate Certificate – Organization Development |
| Jaden Proctor | General Studies |
| Hunter Rioux* | Accounting |
| Austin Samaha | Agriculture Leadership & Communication |
| Caleb Sims | Animal Science |
| Major Spencer | Business Analytics |
| Jonathan Spurlock | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Cole Thrift | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Brandon Tucker | Agricultural Sciences |
| Santos Valdez | General Studies |
| Nate Washington III | General Business |
| Matthew Welch | Animal Science |
| Luke Williams | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Wesley York, Jr. | Computer Science |
| Leon Young | Liberal Studies |
MEN’S GOLF
| Name | Major |
| Dayne Bachmeyer | Marketing |
| Sam Benson | General Studies |
| Seth Graber | Marketing & Marketing Analytics |
| Logan Johnson | Marketing |
| Chance Mulligan | Business Administration |
| Blake Taylor | Business Administration |
| Ivan Yabut* | Health Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Balint Zavaczki* | Management |
WOMEN’S GOLF
| Name | Major |
| Marie Baertz* | Construction Engineering |
| Julianna Crow* | Construction Engineering |
| Jordan Dusckas* | Marketing |
| Benz Far-Arun | Psychology |
| Marie Naeher* | Political Science |
| Annika Schwinn* | General Business |
| Carly Whittington | Kinesiology & Sports Studies |
SOCCER
| Name | Major |
| Ashley Campuzano | Public Health |
| Nia Chacon | Business Administration |
| Sophia Dean* | Psychology |
| Sloane Denning | Psychology |
| Valerie Flores* | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Hailey Griffin* | General Business |
| Christina Hernandez* | Education |
| Addy Higgins | Animal Science |
| Gillian McKenzie | Education |
| Savannah Powell | General Studies |
| Jaynie Rust | Engineering |
| Mindy Shoffit | Public Health |
| Melissa Storey | Business Administration |
| Kristen Sueltz | Public Health |
| Riezi Uzezi-Itesa* | Engineering |
| Kaitlyn Valaitis* | Psychology |
| Marina Vera | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Becca Windrum | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
SOFTBALL
| Name | Major |
| Charli Anger* | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| KK Cosek | Business Administration |
| Ashley Diaz | General Studies |
| Ashylnn Griffith | Public Health |
| Elizabeth Guerrero | Criminal Justice |
| Darby Hickey | Communication Studies |
| Brooke Hilton | Communication Studies |
| Shelby Hodge* | Education |
| Jenna Joyce* | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Kasey Kuyrkendall* | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Destiny Martinez | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Emmie Miehe* | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Maddie Muller* | Public Health |
| Julia Sanchez | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Diamond Sefe | Communication Studies |
| Stephanie Tapia* | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Tehya Pitts* | Criminal Justice |
| Tatum Wright | Biological Sciences |
MEN’S TRACK & FIELD
| Name | Major |
| Emmanuel Agenor | Management |
| Travis Balcar | Agribusiness |
| Eddie Barrientes | Criminal Justice |
| Jarrett Gormer | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Brayden Jeanotte | Physics |
| Jack Jones | General Studies |
| Chandler King | Computer Science |
| Philip Krenek* | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Gage Marshall | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Brett Maya | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Cristian Montes | Business Administration |
| Joshua Nate | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Tahje Parrish* | Health Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Ziphion Reevey | Health Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Connor Stockerl | Business Administration |
| Nikita Strogalev | Computer Science |
| Oguz Uyar | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Justin Vincent | Business Administration |
| Trey Wheeler | General Business |
| Cam Wooley | Marketing |
WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD
| Name | Major |
| Kiara Brown | General Studies |
| Magdaline Campo | Marketing |
| Amaka Ezukanma | Biological Sciences |
| Dejah Fuller | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Romi Griese* | Biological Sciences |
| Trinity Hall* | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Jenneil Jacobie | Biological Sciences |
| Veronika Kramarenko | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Bre’Anna Lacy | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Charidee Morgan | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Danielle Nicholson | Nursing |
| Emma Nix | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Goodness Okoh | Public Health |
| Cassandra Rendon* | Wildlife & Conservation Science |
| Leah Pettis | Psychology |
| Analice Pursley | Marketing |
| Kiara Reynolds | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Celeste Sela* | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| De’Maya Stokes | Public Health |
| Tamara Susa | Health Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Mya Womack | Public Health |
VOLLEYBALL
| Name | Major |
| Essence Allen | Business Administration |
| Millie Allgood* | Biological Sciences |
| Fiona Arnold* | General Studies |
| Deja Benjamin | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Taylor Borden* | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Kaitlyn Breland* | Public Health |
| Brandi Connally* | Animal Science |
| Breann Connally* | Animal Science |
| Reese Fetty* | Communication Studies |
| Yasmin Figueiredo | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Martyna Lewinska* | Biological Sciences |
| Peyton Plant | General Studies |
| Jade Smith | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
| Carley Spachman | Marketing |
| Kitana Tuufuli | Sport & Recreation Management |
| Avery Wilks | Kinesiology & Sport Studies |
-TAMUC-
PLAYERS MENTIONED
Danielle Nicholson
Junior
#8 Reggie Branch
RB 5′ 11″ Sophomore
#25 Jewelz-Unique Demps
DB 5′ 8″ Sophomore
Chandler Donaway
OL 6′ 2″ Sophomore
#7 Max Epps
DB 5′ 11″ Junior
#91 Clifford Funderburk
DL 6′ 3″ Junior
#15 Kion Hurd
LB 5′ 10″ Sophomore
Jadin Jones
OL 6′ 5″ Junior
#47 Josiah Kennard
LS 6′ 1″ Sophomore
#28 Sean-Krystoff King
DB 5′ 9″ Sophomore
More Athletics News
View All Athletics News
East Texas A&M Launches Lucky’s Reading Program With Support From Signature Solar
With a goal to promote reading among elementary school youth across Northeast Texas, East Texas A&M University launched Lucky's Reading Program earlier this fall with support from Signature Solar.
Tucker’s Defensive Player of the Year Award Highlights Lion Football SLC Accolades
East Texas A&M University linebacker Brandon Tucker was honored as the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year, highlighting four all-conference honors for the Lion football program.
Lion Volleyball Secures 13th Straight Postseason Berth, Draws No. 1 Southeastern
For the 13th season in a row, the East Texas A&M University volleyball team will play a match in the postseason.