IRVING, Texas – Former WKU student-athletes Jessica Lucas and Morgan McIntyre have been named the Conference USA Scholar-Athlete of the Year in volleyball and women’s track & field, respectively. Both Lady Toppers left an impact on The Hill through their contributions in the community, classroom and competition. Collectively, Lucas and McIntyre combined for 12 Conference USA Championships during their careers at WKU
C-USA Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards are presented to the top student-athletes in each conference-sponsored sport, determined by a vote of the league’s 14 Faculty Athletics Representatives. The award is based on academic achievement (GPA), athletic achievement and service. Award recipients were selected from C-USA’s full-time and affiliate institutions in 19 sports (combining indoor and outdoor track and field).
A senior out of Ashland, Ky., McIntyre was also named to the 2018 Conference USA Track & Field All-Academic Team, Commissioner’s Honor Roll, USTFCCCA All-Academic list and earned the 2018 Commissioner’s Academic Medal with a major in Communication Science and Disorders. She was also named to the 2017 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team.
In her final season on The Hill, McIntyre notched her fourth-consecutive C-USA Women’s Pole Vault Championship at the 2018 Outdoor C-USA Championships. She finished the 2017-18 season with the best Indoor and Outdoor conference pole vault marks, with her best jump registering at 4.17 meters at the Hilltopper Relays this past April. She holds three of the top five best marks in WKU women’s pole vault history in both the indoor and outdoor events.
WKU’s second honoree, Lucas, became the first Lady Topper in volleyball program history to earn Senior CLASS First-Team All-American status while also collecting her third-straight C-USA Setter of the Year recognition in addition to her fourth-consecutive All-American nod from the AVCA. The Seymour, Ind., native is the first student-athlete in program history to earn All-American laurels from four different organizations in a single season and is one of just three four-time All-Americans in WKU Volleyball history. In her final match in the Red and White, the setter went on to set the school record for career assists with 5,338.
In the classroom, Lucas earned C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll status, not to mention her second selection to the league’s All-Academic team. Lucas graduated from WKU in May 2018 with a degree in exercise science, pre-physical therapy.
WKU is one of just four Conference USA institutions to see multiple student-athletes honored as a 2017-18 Scholar-Athlete. Rice, Middle Tennessee and Charlotte join the Hilltoppers with multiple selections.
2017-18 SCHOLAR ATHLETE AWARD WINNERS:
Baseball Nick Sandlin, Southern Miss
Men’s Basketball Ed Simpson, Middle Tennessee
Women’s Basketball Erica Ogwumike, Rice
Men’s Cross Country Adolfo Carvalho, Rice
Women’s Cross Country *Elsa Racasan, Rice
Football *Brent Stockstill, Middle Tennessee
Men’s Golf Mitchell Meissner, Rice
Women’s Golf Maggie Simmermacher, Old Dominion
Men’s Soccer Jason Beaulieu, New Mexico #
Women’s Soccer Martha Thomas, Charlotte
Softball *Haley Pace, Charlotte
Women’s Swimming & Diving Anna Lynch, Marshall & Marie Claire Schillinger, Rice
Men’s Tennis Eric Rutledge, Rice
Women’s Tennis Lindsey Hodge, Rice
Men’s Track & Field Scott Filip, Rice
Women’s Track & Field Morgan McIntyre, WKU
Volleyball Jessica Lucas, WKU
* Repeat winner
# Affiliate member
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