BATON ROUGE – The Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes honored six LSU student-athletes for their academic achievements and community service for November.
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.
November’s student-athletes of the month are Jalea Jackson [Track & Field], Mary Jeremiah [Women’s Tennis], Logan Rysemus [Swimming & Diving], Trevor Sansone [Track & Field] and Tre’Davious White [Football]. Malik Morgan [Basketball] was selected as the Shaquille O’Neal Life Skills Program Student-Athlete of the Month.
Jackson is majoring in theatre, while Jeremiah and Morgan are sport administration majors. Rysemus is majoring in political science, Sansone is majoring in accounting and White is a kinesiology major.
A sophomore sprinter from Milan, Ill., Jackson competed in four meets during her freshman season, winning the B section of the 100-meter dash at the LSU Alumni Gold and setting a wind-legal personal record of 12.13 (+0.1). She added another personal record of 7.75 in the 60-meter dash, earning fifth place at the LSU Invitational. In her third event, she clocked a 26.37 (-1.0) in the 200-meter race and notched 15th place at the Battle on the Bayou. Jackson is also one of four track & field athletes to receive SEC First-Year Honor Roll honors.
Jeremiah, a junior women’s tennis player from Atlanta, Ga., claimed the No. 2 singles spot and top spot in doubles alongside Ariel Morton for the majority of her sophomore season, and Jeremiah and junior transfer Noel Scott notched the No. 44 spot on the ITA preseason doubles rankings. Due to injury during the fall season, she competed only in the Atlanta Classic, where she took a victory in doubles against Georgia Tech and in singles against Georgia State. In her first season as a Tiger, after transferring from Oklahoma State, she also received a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
A freshman back/individual medley swimmer from Tacoma, Wash., Rysemus joins the Tigers as a two-time individual state champion in the 200 individual medley. While leading his Stadium High School team to a state championship, he marked school records in five events. At the conclusion of his high school career, he notched a ninth place finish in the 100 backstroke at the 2013 USA Swimming Junior National Championships. Rysemus has already participated in community service opportunities while at LSU, as he joined the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in welcoming Special Olympics athletes to campus in September.
Sansone, a junior sprinter from Baton Rouge, La., participated in five meets during his injury-plagued sophomore season. Competing in the 60-meter, 100-meter and 200-meter dash events, he placed 21st in the 200-meter at the Crimson Tide Indoor Opener before earning 15th place in the 200-meter at the Battle on the Bayou. Sansone also finished 15th in the B section of the 100-meter race in the LSU Alumni Gold. He is a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient and received Student-Athlete of the Month honors in November of 2011.
A freshman defensive back from Shreveport, La., White has seen action in all 10 games which includes eight starts. He has tallied 41 tackles, forced a fumble versus Kent State and recorded his first career interception at Mississippi State. White joined the Tigers as one of 2013’s top high school cornerback prospects. He was rated a five-star recruit by 247Sports, Rivals.com and PrepStar and 247Sports also ranked him ninth nationally regardless of position. White was named to the PrepStar 150 Dream Team and received a four-star rating from ESPN and Scout.
Morgan, a sophomore guard from River Ridge, La., has chipped in 4.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game off the bench in the first two games of the 2013-14 season. He secured eight points and six rebounds during LSU’s 88-74 win over Northwestern State. As a freshman, Morgan played in all 31 games where he averaged 5.3 points per game and maintained a 40.9 field goal percentage. He tallied two of his three double-figure games versus SEC opponents last season. As a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, he played a big role in the recent Halloween BOOzar, and Morgan’s commitment to the community also earned him Student-Athlete of the Month honors in August.
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.