LUBBOCK, Texas (September 3, 2025) - Lone Star Conference Academic Athletes of the Year
Grace Foster and
Brevin McCool were announced Wednesday as the 2024-25 South Central Region Scholar Athletes of the Year by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2 CCA).
The two Lubbock Christian University graduates advance to the national ballot and consideration for the D2 CCA men's and women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards to be announced later this month.
The 2025 College Sports Communicators NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Academic Team Member of the Year, Foster
(Childress, Texas), who majored in criminal justice with a 4.0 grade-point average. In the 2024-25 season, she was selected as LSC Women's Basketball Academic Player of the Year and CSC Academic All-America First Team for a second time in her career. Foster is a three-time LSC All-Academic Team member, an LSC Class of 2025 Scholar-Athlete Award recipient, and LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree in each of her eight semesters.
On the basketball court, Foster garnered All-America First Team honors from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and D2 CCA while leading LCU to a 32-5 record, the Division II South Central Regional title and a berth in the Division II Championship Elite Eight. Foster was named the 2025 LSC Player of the Year and D2CCA South Central Region Player of the Year. She led the conference in three-point field goal (.409) and free throw (.896) percentage, second in scoring (20.2 ppg) and third in rebounds (7.5 rpg). Foster is the second Lady Chaps recipient of the honor, as Maddi Chitsey was recognized with the honor in 2019-2020.
A biology major with a 4.0 grade-point average, McCool
(Hobbs, N.M.) was twice named LSC Baseball Academic Player of the Year, three-time All-Academic Team honoree, and an LSC Class of 2025 Scholar-Athlete Award recipient. He earned LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll recognition each semester at LCU.
An outfielder for the Chaparrals, McCool capped his 2025 season as the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings National Position Player of the Year, D2 CCA South Central Region Player of the Year and LSC Player of the Year. McCool earned consensus All-America honors from the ABCA, D2 CCA and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. In the 2025 season, McCool hit .406 with a league-leading 84 RBI and .936 slugging percentage, setting the conference home run records for a career (61), season (31) and game (4). He was named the 2024-25 LSC Male Athlete of the Year.
Each Division II conference office nominated one male and one female for the D2 CCA Scholar-Athlete awards. The commissioners in each of the eight regions – Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, Southeast, South Central and West – selected the regional winners. The national award is voted on by the D2 CCA membership.
2024-24 D2 CCA Region Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award Recipients
| Women |
School |
Conf |
Sport |
Major |
| Katie (Wagner) DeGarmo |
Fort Hays State |
MIAA |
Basketball |
Business Admin. |
| Grace Foster |
Lubbock Christian |
LSC |
Basketball |
Criminal Justice |
| Anna Igims |
Slippery Rock |
PSAC |
X-Country/Track & Field |
School Wellness Educ. |
| Brynn King |
Roberts Wesleyan |
ECC |
Track & Field |
Strategic Leadership |
| Mary Kelly Mulcahy |
Findlay |
GMAC |
Golf |
Business Admin. |
| Madison Murr |
Cal State San Marcos |
CCAA |
Golf |
Environmental Studies |
| Ashleigh Simes |
Lee |
GSC |
Tennis |
Business Admin. |
| Avery Williams |
Columbus State |
PBC |
Soccer |
Biology |
|
|
|
|
|
| Men |
School |
Conf |
Sport |
Major |
| Jack Browder |
Carson-Newman |
SAC |
Basketball |
Business Admin. |
| Cedric Buessing |
Indianapolis |
GLVC |
Swimming & Diving |
Business Admin, Mgmt. |
| Jake Dugger |
Harding |
GAC |
Football |
Information Systems |
| Brayden Long |
Slippery Rock |
PSAC |
Football |
Sport Mgmt. |
| Brevin McCool |
Lubbock Christian |
LSC |
Baseball |
Biology |
| Tommy Murr |
Alabama Huntsville |
GSC |
Basketball |
Business Mgmt. |
| Laurenz Waldbauer |
Northwest Nazarene |
GNAC |
Track & Field |
Global Business |
| Sean Welsh |
Molloy |
ECC |
Baseball |
Finance |
About D2 CCA. Initiated in 1992 to promote its member conferences and institutions, D2 CCA has made its mark in providing a united front for NCAA Division II athletics, and continues to create lines of communication and opportunities for its member conferences. The D2 CCA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). For more information on NACDA and the 18 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, visit
www.nacda.com.
