MARSHALL, Texas – For the fourth year in a row, East Texas Baptist University leads the American Southwest Conference in receiving Distinguished Scholar Athlete awards with four. They received awards in men's and women's track and field, baseball and softball. Hardin-Simmons University was the only other university with four awards.
Brandon Powell (MT&F),
Neelie Schiel (WT&F),
Jagger Neely (BB), and
Mary Frances Ellis (SB) all earned the award. It is the third straight year for Powell to win the award and the fifth straight year for men's track and field to win the award. Shiel earns her first award as it is the third straight for the women's track & field program. Ellis is a first-time recipient of the award as it is the third time in four years for softball. Neely also earns his first DSA award as it is the second straight for the baseball program.
The award is voted on by the ASC Sports Information Directors and given to the top academic student-athlete for their sport. To be nominated, the student-athlete must be a member of the season's ASC Academic All-Conference team; carry a cumulative grade-point average of at least a 3.20; and participate in at least 50 percent of the team's season contests.
Below are the ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete award winners.
Baseball
Jagger Neely | Jr. | Montgomery, Texas | Finance | 3.65 GPA
3-time ASC All-Academic…'24 CSC Academic All-District..3-time ABCA Team Scholar-Award..Dean's List.. '23 ASC Tournament Most Outstanding Player..ASC All-Tournament...3-time All-ASC (HM, 3rd, 2nd)…3-time ASC Regular Season Champions..in '24…All-ASC 2nd team..ABCA All-Region 3rd team..ASC Pitcher of the Week..NCAA Regional Champions..ASC Regular season champions..ranked as high as no. 2 in nation..ranked top 10 all year long…hosted Super Regionals…in '23..ASC Tournament Champions, Regional & Super Regional Champions, & National Championship Tournament participant finishing in 3
rd place…went 13-4 last 2 years on the mound..was 10-3 with 89 strikeouts in '24 & a career-high 9 Ks vs. Texas Dallas…2
nd in ASC in strikeouts and wins behind teammate
Sayers Collins…Operation Christmas Child…helped local rodeo for children.
Softball
Mary Frances Ellis | Jr. | Elysian Fields, Texas | Finance/Accounting | 4.0 GPA
2-time CSC Academic All-American & 2-time CSC Academic All-District…3-time ASC All-Academic…3-time NFCA Scholar-Athlete…3-time All-ASC (2-time first team-23, 24; third-team-22)…2-time NFCA All-Region…NFCA National Players to Watch List in 23…2-time ASC Tournament Champion…3-time NCAA Tournament participant…in '24…2024 National Champions…Super Regional Most Outstanding Player…NCAA Regional All-Tournament team…All-ASC first team…ASC Tournament Champs & Regular Season champions…finished batting .409 with 47 hits, 10 RBI, only 8 strikeouts in 115 Abs, and led the team with 36 stolen bases.
Men's Track & Field
Brandon Powell | Gr. | Wills Point, Texas | MBA | 3.97 GPA
2-time ASC Distinguished Award Winner…2-time CSC Academic All-District…3-time ASC All-Academic…multiple times on President's List, Dean's List..member of Chi Alpha Sigma Award, and highest GPA on team past 3 years…3-time NCAA Qualifier in 3 events for 3 straight (1st for ETBU)…All-American 2nd team in '24 in 4x100 meter and 4x400 meter relays..11-time ASC champion in 6 events over 3 years.. 3-time ASC champion in high jump, 4x100 & 4x400 meter relay…2-time Indoor/3-time Outdoor All-Region..'23 ASC Most Outstanding Athlete..All-ASC in six events in career...holds 3 ETBU records….7-time ASC Athlete of Week…in '24 was All-Region in 4x400 meter, long jump and high jump…participated at NCAA Nationals in high jump, 100-meter dash, 4x100 meter relay, and 4x400 meter relay…Operation Christmas Child..FCA leader on campus..worked at a conference at the Ministry GFA World.
Women's Track & Field
Neelie Schiel | So. | Chappell Hill, Texas | Business Administration | 4.0 GPA
2-time ASC All-Academic…CSC Academic All-District…2-time ASC Champion in Javelin…2-time All-Region…'24 All-American second team…finished in 11
th place at '23 and '24 NCAA National Championships…ranked 4
th in West Region in javelin…finished 4
th at ASC Championships in 400-meter hurdles…in '23 as a freshman was named the ASC Most Outstanding Field Athlete…has helped ETBU to best finish in program history of 3
rd in '23.
ETBU nominees for their sport:
Men's Basketball –
Ryan Elzy
Women's Basketball –
Michaela James
Men's Cross Country –
Noah Mink
Women's Cross Country –
Phoebe Dunham
Football –
Carlos Garibay
Men's Golf –
Kip Childress
Women's Golf –
Kirsten Bridges
Men's Soccer –
Bruno Palmieri
Women's Soccer –
Makayla Baxter
Men's Tennis –
Slade Austin
Women's Tennis – Isabell Duarte
Volleyball –
Avery Reid
2023-24 ASC DSA Winners by University
ETBU – 4
HSU – 4
UTD – 3
UMHB – 3
CTX – 1
LETU – 1
McM – 1
ASC DSA Award Winners for ETBU – Past 4 Years
2023-24 – 4
Brandon Powell – MT&F
Neelie Schiel – WT&F
Jagger Neely – BB
Mary Frances Ellis – SB
2022-23 – 5
Brandon Powell – MT&F
Graycee Mosley – WT&F
Kip Childress – MG
Ashley Croft – SB
Jake Miller – BB
2021-22 – 4
Brandon Powell – MT&F
Rachel Morrison – WXC
Hank Crain – MG
Chisom Bright-Osigwe – WTF
2020-21 – 5
Mack Broussard – MT&F
Hannah Garcia – SB
Hank Crain – MG
Raegan Kappler – WS
