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 July.
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.
July’s student-athletes of the month are Carly Goldstein [Women’s Golf], Josh Growden [Football], Joao Mescolote [Swimming and Diving], Shanice Norton [Women’s Basketball] and Milan Stokes [Volleyball]. Cheyenne Wood [Volleyball] was selected as the Shaquille O’Neal Life Skills Program Student-Athlete of the Month.
Goldstein is an interdisciplinary studies major, Growden is a kinesiology major, Mescolote is a marketing major, Norton is a sociology major, Stokes is an English major and Wood is a sports administration major.
A native of Coral Springs, Florida, Goldstein is a junior golfer who competed in three tournaments for the Tigers during the 2015-16 season. She has had one top-five finish during her three year career.
Growden is a freshman punter from Sydney, Australia who was named to the 2015 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll. He redshirted in 2015 and is in line to take over as the starting punter with the departure of Jamie Keehn. He was one of three recipients of the Jerry Stovall Special Teams Award after the conclusion of spring drills.
Sophomore freestyle swimmer Mescolote finished third in the 50-free at the SEC Championships during his freshman season. The Sao Paulo, Brazil, native helped the team to a sixth-place finish in the 400-relay during the 2016 SEC Championships.
Norton is a sophomore guard from London, England, who was the Lady Tigers’ 2015-16 Newcomer of the Year. She started 22 of 31 games as a true freshman and was the third-leading scorer for the LSU guards with 5.4 points per game and leading rebounder in the backcourt with 3.5 rebounds per game.
Freshman outside hitter Stokes finished her senior season at Wilson High School with over 430 kills, averaging over five per set. The Long Beach, California, native had a pair of matches with over 20 kills, leading the team in aces and digs per set and was the Moore League Co-Player of the Year.
Wood was selected as the Shaquille O’Neal Life Skills Program Student-Athlete of the Month for her dedication to the community, participating in numerous service events throughout her first two years. The junior setter and defensive specialist from Angier, North Carolina, was a member of the 2015 LSU Classic All-Tournament Team. She was the only player to see time in all 108 sets and play in all 29 matches, making 21 starts.
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.