90 Kentucky Athletes make spring SEC Academic Honor Roll

University of Kentucky Athletics has reached new heights this past spring semester, from historic seasons in baseball to NCAA champions in track and field, the ‘Cats have been excelling in their respective sports.

Not only has excellence on the field been evident, but success in the classroom has been just as prominent for these athletes. A total of 90 UK student-athletes were named on the 2024 Southeastern Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey announced Tuesday.

The league pulls grades from the 2024 spring, 2023 fall, and 2023 summer semesters to determine the athletes that qualified for the honor roll. To be selected, student-athletes must maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average or a 3.0 for the prior academic year.

The University of Kentucky had 18 baseball players named to the list, 17 from women’s track and field, 16 from softball, 14 from men’s track and field, seven from women’s tennis, seven from men’s golf, six from women’s golf, and five from men’s tennis.

Here are the names, as listed by the Southeastern Conference:

• Carson Applegate – Baseball – Finance
• Devin Burkes – Baseball – Communication
• Evan Byers – Baseball – Sport, Fitness, & Recreation Management
• Austin Fawley – Baseball – Finance
• Colby Frieda – Baseball – Economics
• Ryan Hagenow – Baseball – Media Arts and Studies
• Patrick Herrera – Baseball – Communication
• Drew Lafferty – Baseball – Management
• Nolan McCarthy – Baseball – Finance
• James McCoy – Baseball – Finance
• Mason Moore – Baseball – Communication
• Jackson Nove – Baseball – Management
• Emilien Pitre – Baseball – Management
• Lukas Schramm – Baseball – Management
• Grant Smith – Baseball – Biology
• Hayden Smith – Baseball – Mathematical Economics
• Travis Smith – Baseball – Communication
• Ryan Waldschmidt – Baseball – Finance
• Andrew Clark – M Golf – Management
• Oakley Gee – M Golf – Finance, Management
• Alex Goff – M Golf – Business Administration
• Campbell Kremer – M Golf – Management
• Cooper Parks – M Golf – Kinesiology
• Tanner Parks – M Golf – Kinesiology
• Kevin Watts – M Golf – Finance
• Jensen Castle – W Golf – Marketing
• Laney Frye – W Golf – Management
• Marta Lopez Echevarria – W Golf – Communication
• Abigail Sutherland – W Golf – Finance, Management
• Maria Villanueva – W Golf – Finance
• Marissa Wenzler – W Golf – Kinesiology and Health Promotion
• Jenna Blanton – Softball – Elementary Education
• Lauryn Borzilleri – Softball – Communication
• Erin Coffel – Softball – Kinesiology
• Taylor Ebbs – Softball – Communication
• Ella Emmert – Softball – Human Health Sciences
• Karissa Hamilton – Softball – Agricultural Economics
• Meeko Harrison – Softball – Health Promotion
• Taylor Hess – Softball – Finance, Marketing
• Alexia Lacatena – Softball – Art Studio
• Grace Lorsung – Softball – Biology
• Hallie Mitchell – Softball – Sustainable Ag & Community Food Systems
• Vanessa Nesby – Softball – Marketing, Management
• Stephanie Schoonover – Softball – Kinesiology
• Rylea Smith – Softball – Strategic Human Resources Management & Analytics
• Erica Thulen – Softball – Management, Marketing
• Margaret Tobias – Softball – Accounting
• Christophe Clement – M Tennis – Finance
• Charlelie Cosnet – M Tennis – Finance, Marketing
• Joshua Lapadat – M Tennis – Finance
• JJ Mercer – M Tennis – Business Administration
• Tate Sandman – M Tennis – Human Health Sciences
• Ellie Eades – W Tennis – Marketing, Management
• Lidia Gonzalez Garcia – W Tennis – Biomedical Engineering
• Zoe Hammond – W Tennis – Economics
• Makayla Mills – W Tennis – Economics
• Maialen Morante Oyague – W Tennis – Business Administration
• Ellie Myers – W Tennis – Accounting
• Elizabeth Stevens – W Tennis – Learning Design and Technology
• Jake Allen – M Track & Field – Accounting
• Alex Alston – M Track & Field – Marketing
• Donsten Brown – M Track & Field – Communication
• Miles Brush – M Track & Field – Psychology
• Blake Byer – M Track & Field – Neuroscience
• Cade Byer – M Track & Field – Mechanical Engineering
• Keaton Daniel – M Track & Field – Health Promotion
• Daroyce Flemons – M Track & Field – Kinesiology
• Alex Justus – M Track & Field – Finance, Accounting
• John Kruzel – M Track & Field – Management
• Brandon Miller – M Track & Field – Kinesiology
• Beck O’Daniel – M Track & Field – Finance
• Dalton Shepler – M Track & Field – Biology
• Jackson Watts – M Track & Field – Human Health Sciences
• Kaitlyn Cain – W Track & Field – Human Health Sciences
• Patrice Cornelius – W Track & Field – Integrated Strategic Communication
• Sophie Galloway – W Track & Field – Agricultural Economics
• Katelyn Hutchison – W Track & Field – Kinesiology and Health Promotion
• Ally Kruger – W Track & Field – Kinesiology
• Amya Livingston – W Track & Field – Kinesiology
• Bryanna Lucas – W Track & Field – Health Administration
• Phoebe McCowan – W Track & Field – Human Health Sciences
• Mahogany Mobley – W Track & Field – Psychology
• Payton Phillips – W Track & Field – Health Promotion
• Kate Powers – W Track & Field – Human Health Sciences
• Jenna Schwinghamer – W Track & Field – Kinesiology
• Seven Simms – W Track & Field – Psychology, Sociology
• Sydney Steely – W Track & Field – Kinesiology and Health Promotion
• Reynei Wallace – W Track & Field – Communication
• Julz Williams – W Track & Field – Social Work
• Meg Wilson – W Track & Field – Psychology

We often focus on the athletic achievements of these athletes; what they’ve done for the program, what they’ve done on a national stage. However, it’s important to also celebrate their achievements in the classroom. Balancing school and sports full-time is a huge task in itself.

Doing that while excelling in both categories is, well, remarkable and deserves celebration.