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 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 Ashleigh Gnat [Gymnastics], Alarii Levreault-Lopez [Swimming and Diving], Darcy Malone [Men’s Basketball], Jonathan Pitt [Men’s Track and Field] and Toni Rodriguez [Volleyball]. Christyna Pitre [Soccer] was selected as the Shaquille O’Neal Life Skills Program Student-Athlete of the Month.
Gnat and Pitt are sport administration majors, Lopez is a petroleum engineering major, Malone and Pitre are business majors and Rodriguez is a kinesiology major.
A native of Lake Mary, Florida, Gnat is a junior all-arounder. Gnat is a five-time All-American who is looking to capitalize on her first two years as a LSU gymnast as she placed fifth in bars and floor in the NCAA Individual Event Finals in 2015. Gnat is also a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Lopez is a freshman butterfly and individual medley swimmer from Canton, Georgia. He placed eighth in the country for 18-and-under in the 200-meter fly and qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials. He comes into LSU ranked the fifth-best swimmer out of Georgia by collegeswimming.com and was named the Cherokee County Swimmer of the Year for three consecutive years.
The junior center from Canberra, Australia, Malone played in 25 games with eight starts during the 2014-15 season. Malone has 14 career assists, 13 career blocks and five career steals during his first two years with the Tigers.
Pitt, a junior from South Brunswick Township, New Jersey, competes in the jumps. He was a 2015 NCAA qualifier in the triple jump for the second straight season. He won three triple jump outdoor titles during the 2015 season.
Freshman outside hitter Rodriguez has 136 kills and is hitting .183 on the season. She is third on the team in kills with six double figure kill matches and 11 matches with at least five kills this season. She stopped a new season-best five shots in LSU’s win at Auburn.
Pitre 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 freshman year. The midfielder from Austin, Texas, appeared in all 20 of the Tigers’ matches and started 18 during the 2014 season. She recorded a pair of assists for two points on the 2014 season.
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.