BATON ROUGE – The Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes honored six LSU student-athletes as part of their academic achievements and community service for the month of September.
Each month, five student-athletes are recognized for their academic improvement, dedication and proven ability. In addition, one student-athlete is chosen through the CHAMPS Challenging Athletes Minds for Personal Success program for their volunteerism and commitment to the community.
September’s student-athletes of the month are Terrence Magee [Football], Brittany Porter [Women’s Track & Field], Craig Loston [Football], Shanece McKinney [Women’s Basketball] and Tom Knights [Men’s Tennis]. Justin Hamilton [Men’s Basketball] was selected as the Shaquille O’Neal CHAMPS/Student-Athlete Affairs Athlete of the Month.
Magee, McKinney and Knights are sports administration majors, and Knights has a concentration in sports commerce. Loston and Porter are majoring in general studies, while Hamilton is majoring in sociology.
A junior center from Alpine, Utah, Hamilton transferred from Iowa State and will play his first game as a Tiger this season. His sophomore season at Iowa State, he sunk almost 62 percent of his shots, leading the team in shooting accuracy. Hamilton also was recognized as an ACSA Student-Athlete of the Month in May 2011. He recently assisted with “Roaring into the Halls,” an event geared to help LSU freshmen move into their dorm rooms.
Knights, a senior tennis player from London, England, is a member of the 2011 SEC Academic Honor Roll. During his junior season, he had a 7-13 singles record and a 7-14 doubles record and competed at the USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championship.
A sophomore from Houston, Texas, Loston recorded two tackles and forced a fumble on special teams during LSU’s 40-27 victory over No. 3 Oregon. Off the field, he has spoken to elementary and middle school students about the importance of education. Loston also was one of ten LSU football players to take part in the annual Buddy Ball game versus a group of individuals with special needs.
Magee, a freshman running back from Franklinton, was honored as the 2010 Louisiana 4A Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the Year and was ranked the No. 8 player in Louisiana by Tigerbait.com. He was a consensus three-star prospect and the 2010 recipient of the Warrick Dunn Award as WAFB’s Sportsline Player of the Year.
A sophomore forward from Mobile, Ala., McKinney played 22 games and ranked third on the team for blocks with 16 blocks during her freshman season. Off the court, McKinney and her teammates along with the men’s basketball team assisted with “Roaring into the Halls” move-in event.
Porter, a junior long jumper from Decatur, Ga., was one of LSU’s top long jumpers in 2010 and an NCAA Outdoor Championships qualifier. Also competing in triple jump, she helped the Lady Tigers win the SEC Outdoor Championship for the third time in four seasons. This is her second time to be listed as a Student-Athlete of the Month, as she was honored in October 2009.
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.