BATON ROUGE – The Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes honored six LSU student-athletes for their academic achievements and community service for June.
Each month, five student-athletes are recognized for their academic improvement, dedication and proven ability. In addition, one student-athlete is chosen through LSU’s Student-Athlete Affairs program for their volunteerism and commitment to the community.
June’s student-athletes of the month are Brandon Eddlestone [Men’s Basketball], Raigyne Moncrief [Women’s Basketball], DeSean Smith [Football], Sophie Weber [Swimming and Diving] and Randii Wyrick [Gymnastics]. Alden Cartwright [Baseball] was selected as the Shaquille O’Neal Life Skills Program Student-Athlete of the Month.
Eddlestone and Weber are finance majors, while Wyrick and Cartwright are majoring in sports administration and general management, respectively. Moncrief is an electrical engineering major, and Smith is majoring in interdisciplinary studies major.
Cartwright, a freshman pitcher from Baton Rouge, posted a 1-1 record with a 2.41 ERA over 21 appearances which included seven starts. He earned his lone victory on the season when he tossed 1.2 innings of relief and struck out two batters versus Purdue on March 9. Cartwright fired four shutout frames in LSU’s 2-0 win over Florida during the championship game of SEC Tournament. He recently took part in the McKinley Middle Magnet Athletic Department’s sports banquet and served as a guest speaker. In his speech, Cartwright emphasized the importance of scholarly pursuits and the work ethic necessary to achieve academic goals.
A freshman forward from Slidell, Eddlestone served as a walk-on for the Tigers during the 2013-14 season. He appeared in nine games and tallied two points in games against Southeastern Louisiana and McNeese State.
Moncrief, a guard from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, adds her first student-athlete of the month award to a plethora of honors and accolades she collected during her freshman season with the Lady Tigers. She averaged 10.1 points per game en route to an All-SEC Freshman-Team selection. Moncrief also was a two-time SEC Freshman of the Week and pumped in a career-high 27 points against Rutgers – the most by a LSU true freshman since LaSondra Barrett‘s 27 points at Arkansas during the 2008-09 season. She missed LSU’s final two games of the season with an injury and looks forward to a healthy sophomore season with continued success both on and off the court.
A freshman tight end from Lake Charles, Smith played in all 13 games for the Tigers in 2013. He picked up a 14-yard reception against UAB and also saw action on special teams. He figures to play a key role in the passing game for LSU in 2014.
Weber, a redshirt freshman swimmer from Granite Bay, California, contributed three personal best marks at the 2014 SEC Championships that are in the Top 10 in program history. She finished fifth in the ‘B’ final of the 400 individual medley and reached the ‘C’ final of the 200 individual medley.
After capturing First-Team All-America honors on bars as a freshman, Wyrick averaged a 9.836 in the event during her sophomore season. A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Wyrick only scored below a 9.8 on bars one time on the season. This Student-Athlete of the Month recognition comes as no surprise for Wyrick who was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll for the second consecutive season in 2014.
For putting forth extra effort in the classroom and community in addition to their rigorous academic and competition schedules, these six student-athletes will have their pictures displayed on the wall in the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes.