TAF, LSU Honor Student-Athletes at Academic Gala

BATON ROUGE, La. – On Monday night inside of the L’auberge Event Center, the LSU athletic department and Tiger Athletic Foundation honored over 220 student-athletes for their academic achievements over the course of the 2014-15 academic year during the organization’s annual academic gala, in conjunction with The Mikey’s, the second-annual event hosted by LSU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

The TAF Academic Excellence Gala is held each year as a way to honor those LSU student-athletes who have had success in the classroom, community and in competition.

“We, in the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes, are extremely proud of our scholar-athletes. The academic gala is one of our marquee events that highlight the academic and community engagement contributions to the University and our surrounding community,” LSU Assistant Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Executive Director of the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes. “We believe that both are critical to the cognitive and personal development of our student-athletes and this event is one way to show the multi-dimensions of our student-athletes.”

A total of 223 LSU student-athletes were honored as 2015 LSU Scholar Athlete’s, which to qualify they must meet the criteria in one of the following categories: SEC Academic Honor Roll, LSU Director’s Cup Award for Academic Excellence, or inducted into the National College Athlete Honor Society (Chi Alpha Sigma).

The 2015 TAF Male and Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year awards went to football player J.D. Moore and women’s golfer Madelene Sagstrom.

Moore transitioned from his high school position of tight end to fullback and in 2015 was a part of the lead blocking contingent that helped the Tigers rush for over 3,000 yards and 36 touchdowns last season. An SEC Academic Honor Roll Selection, Moore is majoring in architecture and holds a 3.9 grade point average.

Becoming just the third player in LSU women’s golf history to be named the SEC Player of the Year, Sagstrom became the first Lady Tiger to average below 72 in stroke average for a season. She was a first team All-SEC, a first-team All-American and Finalist for the ANNIKA Award and Ping National Player of the Year award. Sagstrom holds a GPA of 3.47 in psychology and was also selected to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

After earning first-team All-American honors by three different publications and helping lead the LSU baseball team to the 2015 College World Series, Alex Bregman was named the 2015 TAF Male Athlete of the Year. The Albuquerque, New Mexico, native finished his LSU campaign as a finalist for the prestigious Golden Spikes Award, which is awarded to the nation’s top amateur prospect and is presented each year to the player who best exhibits exceptional on-field ability and exemplary sportsmanship.

Bregman was the No. 2 overall pick of the Houston Astros in the 2015 MLB Draft after starting 196 games in his Tiger career, finishing with a career average of .337 at the plate which led to first team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team honors.

One of the most decorated throwers to grace the historic Lady Tiger track and field program in Tori Bliss was named the 2015 TAF Female Athlete of the Year. A native of Portage, Indiana, Bliss was a three-time All-American, an SEC Champion and two-time All-SEC performer during her stellar indoor and outdoor run, as she holds the school record holder in the event in both.

She earned the best finishes by a Lady Tiger in the history of the NCAA Indoor and NCAA Outdoor Championships as a two-time national runner-up, earning silver medals in 2014 and 2015. Bliss’ school record of 60 feet, 7 1/4 inches at the 2015 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships helped her become the No. 8-ranked shot putter indoors in NCAA history, while her throw of 60-8 at the LSU Invitational during her senior season helped her become the No. 9-ranked shot putter outdoors in NCAA history.

Bliss was also selected as one of two winners of the 2015 Volunteer of the Year Award, claiming the honor along with men’s golfer Zach Wright.

11 student-athletes were honored with the Wally Pontiff, Jr. Academic Excellence Award, which goes to those student-athletes who are in their third year at LSU and have a 3.9 or higher cumulative grade point average. Earning the award for 2015 was Andria Aguilar from women’s track and field (3.194 in international studies), Philip Dempsey from men’s track and field (3.976 in interdisciplinary studies), Nadine Dreher from women’s golf (3.962 in sports administration), Michelle Gauthier from gymnastics (3.967 in kinesiology), Therese Jernbeck from women’s track and field (3.969 in international trade and finance), Tommy LeBeau from football (3.911 in engineering), Chaiss Matthews from women’s track and field (4.0 in biology), Mariel McLaughlin from soccer (4.0 in biology), J.D. Moore from football (3.9 in architecture), Daniel Tanner from men’s track and field (3.925 in petroleum engineering) and Dylan Supak from softball (4.0 in kinesiology-human movement).

The recipients of the 2015 Bengal Belles Academic Achievement Awards were Andrea Maxwell from women’s track and field, Bryan Mutell from men’s track and field, Annie Simoneaux from women’s track and field and Scarlett Williams from Gymnastics. Maxwell competed in the fall of 2014, while Mutell, Simoneaux and Williams all competed in the spring of 2015.

For the third time, gymnastics team were the winners of the Tiger Cup Award, which goes to the team that combined to be the most productive in the areas of competitive success, academic accomplishment and community service participation. The recipient of the Tiger Cup is determined by combining a team’s final conference and national ranking in competition with its cumulative grade point average and community service hours accumulated off the field during the previous academic year.

The squad earned the 2015 Community Service Cup Award for dedicating the most hours in service of the local community, while as a squad claiming the highest female team GPA award with a 3.498 average. The LSU men’s tennis team won the highest male team GPA award for their 3.153 average.

The recipient of the Eye of the Tiger Award is a person who has overcome great adversity with perseverance, dedication and determination. Earning the award this year was LSU football tight end Colin Jeter, who found his way to LSU after helping his mother Wendy battle breast cancer after her diagnosis during his senior year of high school. Wendy is now cancer-free, and Colin caught 12 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown.

This year’s honoree as the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award is former Tiger standout basketball player and current radio color analyst Ricky Blanton. Blanton was a part of the 1986 Final Four team and served as the team captain as a junior and senior. Blanton and his family have lived in the Baton Rouge area, as he is currently the owner of the Ricky Blanton Insurance Agency which focuses on servicing employers with benefits, while also giving back to the community by sitting on various boards throughout the city.

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.

2015 TAF Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year
J.D. Moore

2015 TAF Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Madelene Sagstrom

2015 TAF Male Athlete of the Year
Alex Bregman

2015 TAF Female Athlete of the Year
Tori Bliss

2015 Bengal Belles Academic Achievement Award
Andrea Maxwell, Women’s Track and Field
Bryan Mutell, Men’s Track and Field
Annie Simoneaux, Women’s Track and Field
Scarlett Williams, Gymnastics

2015 Eye of the Tiger Award
Colin Jeter, Football

2015 Highest Male Team GPA Award
Men’s Tennis

2015 Highest Female Team GPA Award
Gymnastics

Tiger Cup
Gymnastics

2015 Volunteer of the Year Awards
Tori Bliss, Women’s Track and Field
Zach Wright, Men’s Golf

2015 Wally Pontiff, Jr. Academic Excellence Awards
Andria Aguilar, Women’s Track and Field
Philip Dempsey, Men’s Track and Field
Nadine Dreher, Women’s Golf
Michelle Gauthier, Gymnastics
Therese Jernbeck, Women’s Track and Field
Tommy LeBeau, Football
Chaiss Matthews, Women’s Track and Field
Mariel McLaughlin, Soccer
J.D. Moore, Football
Daniel Tanner, Men’s Track and Field
Dylan Supak, Softball