JACKSON, Tenn. – On Friday, the Gulf South Conference announced the 2024 GSC Fall Honor Roll and All-Academic Awards. Union University placed 66 student-athletes on the list, including Reese Owens on the Volleyball All-Academic Team, Addi Aguayo on the Women’s Cross Country All-Academic Team, Ryan Keeton on the Men’s Cross Country All-Academic Team, Kenny Nitzche on the Men’s Soccer All-Academic Team, and Lucia Garcia on the Women’s Soccer All-Academic Team. This is the first time since 2018 that Union has had All-Academic winners from each of their five fall sports teams in a single year.
The GSC had 1,129 student-athletes named to the honor roll, with 157 posting 4.0 GPA.
All-Academic is a voted-on position and to be nominated, a player has to be at least a sophomore with a 3.2 minimum GPA and is a significant contributor to the team. The honor roll is for any varsity athlete who played against outside competition and has at least a 3.0 GPA.
For Owens, a 5-foot-10 senior from Jonesboro, Ark., this was her first GSC All-Academic award. In the 2024 season, she was named Second Team All-GSC and CSC Academic All-District, competing in 111 sets and accumulating 309 kills, 23 assists, 49 service aces, 353 digs, and 39 blocks. She also passed 500 career digs during the season.
For Aguayo, a 5-foot-1 sophomore from Franklin, Tenn., this was her first GSC All-Academic award. She was named GSC Second Team All-Conference after an 11th place finish in the GSC Championships on Oct. 26, 2024, in which she raced her best 6k time of the season (22:45.4). She competed in all six races for Union and had two top-10 finishes and two top-20 finishes during the season.
For Keeton, a 6-foot-2 senior from Fairview, Tenn., this was his first GSC All-Academic award. He competed in all six races for Union in 2024 with two top-20 finishes. His fastest time in an 8k event during the season was 25:48.50, which came at the Watson Collegiate Classic on Oct. 18, 2024.
For Nitzche, a 5-foot-6 senior from Brakel, Germany, this is his first GSC All-Academic award. He played in 15 of Union’s 17 games in the 2024 season, starting 14 and accumulating 1,193 minutes. He scored five goals, including two game-winners. He also had five assists and 11 shots on goal.
For Garcia, a 5-foot-4 junior from Asturias, Spain, this is her first GSC All-Academic award. She was named United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-Region and was selected to the GSC All-Tournament Team. She played in 15 games in the 2024 season, starting seven and competing in 906 minutes. She scored one goal, a game winner in the final seconds against Montevallo on Oct. 5, 2024. She also had two shots on goal.
Women’s volleyball placed 10 players on the honor roll, including Hannah Hamill, Hope Harrington, Jordan Moore, Reese Owens, Ashley Pruitt, Sarah-Kate Savage, Gracie Tacker, Dylan Tolliver, Marie Torosian, and Sydney Whittaker.
Women’s cross country placed six runners on the honor roll, including Addi Aguyo, Sophie Crisler, Cami Haas, Heidi Munday, Mary Scott Tritt, and Ayla Young.
Men’s cross-country placed 13 runners on the honor roll, including Benjamin Blackwood, Stewart Brown, Caleb Cook, William Craig, Aaron Fynaardt, Riley Garrison, Noah Jinks, Miles Johnson, Ryan Keeton, Tristan Kelly, Jonathan Litscher, Garrett Robison, and Luke Winkleman.
Men’s Soccer placed 13 players on the honor roll, including Tucker Cowles, Daniel Dixon, Christian Harjanne, Finn Jacobs, Zeph Key, Diego Medina, Kobi Mosley, Sam Newman, Kenny Nitzche, Noel Pataki, Luca Pereira, Patrick Schott, Jack Talley, and Hayden Techasiriwan.
Women’s soccer placed 24 players on the honor roll, including Rivers Abshere, Grace Ajamie, Irene Arias, Paige Blackburn, Amanda Carr, Ebba Detulleo, Tessa Erzen, Lucia Garcia, Amelia Goehring, Joslyn Greene, Bethany Guinness, Eva Isom, Rebekah Jackson, Kirsten LaVallee, Lilly Ludwig, Claire Maxon, Ella Neely, Ashlyn Newman, Lucia Revuelto, Brooke Ricca, Brooklyn Robbins, Rachel Shane, Sophie Walsh, and Madison Woolridge.
