Texas Tech University Athletics
Twelve Red Raiders Earn Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award
February 26, 2020 | General
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech had 12 student-athletes honored as recipients of the 2020 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, the Big 12 Conference's highest academic honor. Overall, 89 student-athletes earned the honor from throughout the conference.
The award is in its 10th year and has recognized a total of 780 conference student-athletes. Kansas led the way with 22 honorees, followed by Oklahoma State and Texas Tech with 12 apiece. Baylor had nine award winners, Oklahoma eight, Kansas State seven, Iowa State and West Virginia six each, Texas five and TCU 2. The Red Raiders are represented by Clayton Beeter (baseball), Braden Darrow (track & field), Steven Duran (track & field), Braxton Fulford (baseball), Haley Harmon (volleyball), Shelby Henderson (softball), Kyle Hogan (golf), Savanna Jones (soccer), Bret Nance (track & field), Chinne Okoronkwo (track & field), Sandy Scott (golf) and Bjorn Thomson (tennis).
The award is in memory of Lage, who served as the Oklahoma State faculty athletics representative with the NCAA and the Big Eight/Big 12 Conference from 1983 until his death in 2007. He was the chairman on three occasions (1985-86, 93-94 and 2003-04).
Beeter earned Freshman All-American and All-Big 12 Second Team honors in a closing role last season and as transitioned to Friday night starter for the Red Raiders in 2020. A Lubbock native, Fulford has blossomed into one of the nation's top defensive catchers while taking a big step forward at the plate in 2019.
Defending Big 12 Champion in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault Chinne Okoronkwo became the first athlete in NCAA history to become an All-American in the pole vault and triple jump in the same national meet. Okoronkwo competes in the unique combination of pole vault, plus both horizontal jumps (triple jump and long jump). In just two seasons since transferring from Wisconsin, Okoronkwo owns three of the top-10 triple jump marks in school history and two of the top-10 pole vault heights. A multi-time Academic All-Big 12 cross country and track athlete, Bret Leigh Nance hails from Blanco, Texas. Nance has been strong recently, running career bests in each of her last two Big 12 Championships. At the 2018 Big 12 Cross Country Championships, she ran a personal-best 22:01.7. She followed with a strong showing last year in Norman, where she ran a PR 11:08.12.
Steven Duran a runner from Albuquerque, N.M., is a part of Wes Kittley's mid-distance contingent. Duran has run in 34 meets at Tech, primarily in the 800m. The senior has traveled to the Big 12 Championships once, running the 800m as a freshman. Darrow is a redshirt junior thrower from Abilene, Texas, who last season was a part of Tech's Big 12 Indoor Championship title. The thrower scored in the shot put, contributing to the most dominant conference title win in Big 12 history as the Red Raiders won by a record 70 points. Darrow has competed in 30 meets in his Red Raider career.
Finishing up her junior season at the end of 2019, Harman is a three-year letterwinner under head coach Tony Graystone. Harman played in four sets in her junior campaign, producing two blocks and one kill.
Henderson is in the midst of her senior season after joining the Red Raiders in 2019. Henderson came up really big in numerous opportunities at the plate last in 2019 and has made eight appearances this season.
Savanna Jones, a three-time First Team Academic All-Big 12 honoree, turned in a career campaign in 2019 as Tech advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in her four years. Jones recorded a career-best two goals and an assist in her last season as a Red Raider, totaling five points, including a goal on the final touch of her career in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against No. 19 Michigan. Jones played in a total of 41 games in her Tech career.
Thomson is a standout both on the court and in the classroom. His list of accomplishments include All-America honors for doubles in the 2019-20 campaign, a pair of All-Big 12 First Team nods, All-Big 12 Academic First Team selections in 2017 and 2019 and a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team, also in 2017 and 2019.
Scott, a senior from Scotland, earned PING All-America, Srixon/Cleveland All-America Scholar and All-Big 12 honors last season. He opened this season by winning The Carmel Cup and also played in The Walker Cup. Scott is ranked No. 26 in the Golfstat by averaging rounds of 70.23. Scott was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team and was an Arnold Palmer Cup selection. Hogan is a junior from Cypress who has recorded two top-3 finishes this season with average rounds of 71.17 and earned a spot in The Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase.
In order to be eligible for the accolade, student-athletes must have lettered at least once in their career while maintaining residence at their institution for at least one academic year. The honoree, which can only be recognized once, should have 100 hours of earned credit with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.80 at the time of the nomination.
The Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award recipients' names will be featured on the video board at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Basketball Championships, scheduled for March 11-15 at the Sprint Center and Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.
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The award is in its 10th year and has recognized a total of 780 conference student-athletes. Kansas led the way with 22 honorees, followed by Oklahoma State and Texas Tech with 12 apiece. Baylor had nine award winners, Oklahoma eight, Kansas State seven, Iowa State and West Virginia six each, Texas five and TCU 2. The Red Raiders are represented by Clayton Beeter (baseball), Braden Darrow (track & field), Steven Duran (track & field), Braxton Fulford (baseball), Haley Harmon (volleyball), Shelby Henderson (softball), Kyle Hogan (golf), Savanna Jones (soccer), Bret Nance (track & field), Chinne Okoronkwo (track & field), Sandy Scott (golf) and Bjorn Thomson (tennis).
The award is in memory of Lage, who served as the Oklahoma State faculty athletics representative with the NCAA and the Big Eight/Big 12 Conference from 1983 until his death in 2007. He was the chairman on three occasions (1985-86, 93-94 and 2003-04).
Beeter earned Freshman All-American and All-Big 12 Second Team honors in a closing role last season and as transitioned to Friday night starter for the Red Raiders in 2020. A Lubbock native, Fulford has blossomed into one of the nation's top defensive catchers while taking a big step forward at the plate in 2019.
Defending Big 12 Champion in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault Chinne Okoronkwo became the first athlete in NCAA history to become an All-American in the pole vault and triple jump in the same national meet. Okoronkwo competes in the unique combination of pole vault, plus both horizontal jumps (triple jump and long jump). In just two seasons since transferring from Wisconsin, Okoronkwo owns three of the top-10 triple jump marks in school history and two of the top-10 pole vault heights. A multi-time Academic All-Big 12 cross country and track athlete, Bret Leigh Nance hails from Blanco, Texas. Nance has been strong recently, running career bests in each of her last two Big 12 Championships. At the 2018 Big 12 Cross Country Championships, she ran a personal-best 22:01.7. She followed with a strong showing last year in Norman, where she ran a PR 11:08.12.
Steven Duran a runner from Albuquerque, N.M., is a part of Wes Kittley's mid-distance contingent. Duran has run in 34 meets at Tech, primarily in the 800m. The senior has traveled to the Big 12 Championships once, running the 800m as a freshman. Darrow is a redshirt junior thrower from Abilene, Texas, who last season was a part of Tech's Big 12 Indoor Championship title. The thrower scored in the shot put, contributing to the most dominant conference title win in Big 12 history as the Red Raiders won by a record 70 points. Darrow has competed in 30 meets in his Red Raider career.
Finishing up her junior season at the end of 2019, Harman is a three-year letterwinner under head coach Tony Graystone. Harman played in four sets in her junior campaign, producing two blocks and one kill.
Henderson is in the midst of her senior season after joining the Red Raiders in 2019. Henderson came up really big in numerous opportunities at the plate last in 2019 and has made eight appearances this season.
Savanna Jones, a three-time First Team Academic All-Big 12 honoree, turned in a career campaign in 2019 as Tech advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in her four years. Jones recorded a career-best two goals and an assist in her last season as a Red Raider, totaling five points, including a goal on the final touch of her career in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against No. 19 Michigan. Jones played in a total of 41 games in her Tech career.
Thomson is a standout both on the court and in the classroom. His list of accomplishments include All-America honors for doubles in the 2019-20 campaign, a pair of All-Big 12 First Team nods, All-Big 12 Academic First Team selections in 2017 and 2019 and a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team, also in 2017 and 2019.
Scott, a senior from Scotland, earned PING All-America, Srixon/Cleveland All-America Scholar and All-Big 12 honors last season. He opened this season by winning The Carmel Cup and also played in The Walker Cup. Scott is ranked No. 26 in the Golfstat by averaging rounds of 70.23. Scott was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team and was an Arnold Palmer Cup selection. Hogan is a junior from Cypress who has recorded two top-3 finishes this season with average rounds of 71.17 and earned a spot in The Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase.
In order to be eligible for the accolade, student-athletes must have lettered at least once in their career while maintaining residence at their institution for at least one academic year. The honoree, which can only be recognized once, should have 100 hours of earned credit with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.80 at the time of the nomination.
The Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award recipients' names will be featured on the video board at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Basketball Championships, scheduled for March 11-15 at the Sprint Center and Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.
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