MARSHALL, Texas – Recognized by her peers in the American Southwest Conference, East Texas Baptist University's Mary-Kate Mark is the 2025 Fred Jacoby Sportsmanship Female Athlete Award winner. Mark is the third ETBU female student-athlete to win the award, joining Abby Weaver (2018) and Mullika Seekhieo (2019).
 
ETBU Head Cross Country Coach Natalie Bach-Prather stated, "Mary-Kate is a missionary kid from Papay New Guinea and has no family here, but she remains the most encouraging person on our team. She works two jobs and has a full class load but never complains and encourages her teammates to give their best. She is inspiring ever!"
 
Overall, ETBU has earned six ASC Sportsmanship awards, including those for males Ryan Yezak (2011), Connor Combs (2017), and Beau Billings (2019) and females Mark, Seekhieo, and Weaver.
 
Below is part of the ASC release on Mark.
 

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DALLAS, Texas – Acts of sportsmanship in competition, on campus, and within the community earned Will Bartoszek of Hardin-Simmons and Mary-Kate Mark of East Texas Baptist recognition as the 2024-25 American Southwest Conference Fred Jacoby Sportsmanship Athletes of the Year, the league announced Thursday.
 
The ASC Fred Jacoby Sportsmanship Award honors each year a male and female student-athlete who best displays sportsmanship, leadership, citizenship, and academic integrity in his or her athletic, academic, and life pursuits. The conference Directors of Athletics present the annual awards.
 
Mark, a sophomore cross country runner from Goroka, Papua New Guinea, was tabbed 2024 ASC Women's Cross Country Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year. She was an All-ASC Second Team selection this season after placing 13th at the ASC Championship. Mark ran a season-best 25:50.5 at the Watson Collegiate XC Classic. She also ran the 1,500-, 3,000-, 5,000- and 10,000-meter races in Track and Field for the Tigers this year.  
 

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ETBU Award Winners – ASC Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year
Women
2025 – Mary-Kate Mark (XC)
2019 – Mullika Seekhieo (Women's Tennis)
2018 – Abby Weaver (Volleyball)
 
Men
2019 – Beau Billings (XC)
2017 – Connor Combs (Baseball)
2011 – Ryan Yezak (Baseball)
 

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2024-25 ASC Sportsmanship Team Winners
Women
Cross Country – Mary-Kate Mark
Golf – Rylee Beard
 
Men
Cross Country – Elijah Baker