BATON ROUGE, La. – The Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes honored six student-athletes for their academic achievements and community service for the month of May.
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.
May’s student-athletes of the month are Elise Bradley [Women’s Golf], Chris Chinea [Baseball], Lexi Gibbs [Soccer], Madelene Sagstrom [Women’s Golf] and Cheyenne Wood [Volleyball]. Keith Hornsby [Men’s Basketball] was selected as the Shaquille O’Neal Life Skills Program Student-Athlete of the Month.
Bradley is a finance major, Chinea and Wood are sport administration majors, Gibbs and Sagstrom are interdisciplinary studies majors, and Hornsby is a communication studies major.
A Mandeville, Louisiana native, junior golfer Bradley, captured her first collegiate title in March when she won the LSU Tiger Golf Classic at the University Club in Baton Rouge and was named the SEC Golfer of the Week after the win. She was also named to the league’s All-SEC second team after having four top-10 finishes on the year.
Chinea is a junior catcher/first baseman from Miami, Florida. He is No. 2 in the SEC in hits with 69 on the year, and is No. 6 in batting average as he is batting .369. He batted .500 in the series against Mississippi State after going 8-16 at the plate with four RBI.
Gibbs, a junior forward from Prairieville, Louisiana, appeared in 16 matches during the 2014 season, posting a .222 shot percentage. She netted the game winning shot against Northwestern State and scored two goals with one assist during the contest, marking her first multi-goal game.
The senior from Enkoping, Sweden, Sagstrom, was named the SEC Women’s Golfer of the Year and was named first team All-SEC for the third consecutive year. She is currently leads the SEC in stroke average with 71.07 through 27 rounds and is on pace to be the first LSU woman’s golfer to average below 72 for a season of golf.
A freshman from Angier, North Carolina, Wood started three matches, played in 18 and saw action in 56 sets. The libero earned 63 digs on the season, averaging 1.12 digs per set, while serving up 10 assists and three service aces.
Hornsby was selected as the Shaquille O’Neal Life Skills Program Student-Athlete of the Month for his dedication to the community, participating in numerous service events throughout his junior year. In the regular season finale, Hornsby hit the game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer to help LSU defeat Arkansas. He finished the season fourth in the SEC in three-point shots, making 72 of 183 and was third on the team in scoring with 13.4 points per game.
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.
The Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes is a 54,000 square foot facility comprised of an academic affairs, student affairs and an information technology team, serving more than 530 student-athletes. The purpose is to provide an all-inclusive, student-centered support structure for all student-athletes from matriculation, through graduation and life beyond.