BATON ROUGE – The LSU Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes (CCACSA) recognizes student-athletes for their scholastic and community achievements each month. Student-athletes are chosen based on their commitment to academic success and for their devotion to volunteerism and service to the community.
Here are the September 2025 CCACSA’s staff Student-Athletes of the Month:
Alfons Bondesson
Senior, General Business, Men’s Golf
Reason for nomination: Alfons has worked hard since transferring to LSU last year. He helped contribute to the team winning the PLATFORM Golf Team Academic Award while individually being named a Cobalt Golf All-American Scholar by the Golf Coaches Association of America, earning Academic All-District Team honors by College Sports Communicators, and being on the First Year SEC Academic Honor Roll. I know Alfons is going to continue representing LSU on the course and in the classroom!
Nominated by: Taylor Dennehy, Assistant Director
Edit Hertzman
Senior, Sport Administration, Women’s Golf
Reason for nomination: Edit had a great summer with her academics! I’m proud of how much she has grown in her confidence as a student. She did a great job completing challenging coursework this summer, setting herself up to have a great start to her senior year!
Nominated by: Taylor Dennehy, Assistant Director
Chris Hilton
Senior, Sport Administration, Football
Reason for nomination: Chris worked hard to earn his degree from LSU, pushing through challenges both on the field and in the classroom. He stayed committed and determined every step of the way to get to where he is today. We’re incredibly proud of everything he has achieved and can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.
Nominated by: Football Academic Team
Kate Koval
Sophomore, General Business, Women’s Basketball
Reason for nomination: Kate passed 12 hours of coursework this summer, earning a 4.15 LSU GPA. She achieved this while also playing for her native country of Ukraine in the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series. In addition, Kate has a servant’s heart, willing to help her classmate when she didn’t understand an assignment. That truly embodies what it means to be a teammate on and off the court.
Nominated by: Carole Walker, Senior Associate Director
Jessie Liao
Sophomore, Kinesiology, Women’s Swimming and Diving
Reason for nomination: Jessie has demonstrated exceptional initiative, adaptability, and dedication throughout the Spring 2025 and Summer 2025 academic terms. Jessie has made significant strides both in and out of the classroom, embracing the challenges of her first year with resilience and a strong work ethic. Her positive attitude and commitment to growth have made a lasting impression on the academic staff. We are excited to see her continued development and all that she will accomplish moving forward.
Nominated by: Jason Shaw, Director of Academic Affairs
Mike Nwoko
Junior, Interdisciplinary Studies, Men’s Basketball
Reason for nomination: Mike embodies the balance of academic dedication and athletic commitment, inspiring teammates.
Nominated by: Kenyatta Walker, Associate Director
Accountability – Commitment – Success – Integrity – Diversity – Teamwork – Service – Education
It is through living the values of the Total Team Commitment 2017-2022, particularly education, academic success, and service to the community, that student-athletes are recognized as Cox Communications Academic Center Student-Athletes of the month. These values are fundamental to the growth and development of our student-athletes as they enter to learn, then leave to serve.