[June 7, 2007]

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Gulf South Conference has released the 2007 Havoc Spring All-Academic Teams, and Academic Honor Roll, which includes 36 Southern Arkansas University student-athletes, six of them named to the elite conference All-Academic Teams. A total of 80 student-athletes across the league were named All-Academic, including three three-time selections, and 20 who were members of the 2006 team.

The GSC All-Academic Teams are nominated by the conference sports information directors (SIDs), and selected by the SIDs and Faculty Athletic Representatives in a joint vote. Nominees must have an overall grade point (GPA) of 3.20 or better on a 4.00 scale for their entire academic career and may not be a freshman or first-year participant.

Members of the GSC Academic Honor Roll must post a minimum of a cumulative 3.00 GPA and have competed during their respective season. All student-athletes, including freshmen and first-year participants, are eligible for the Honor Roll.

All-Academic Team honorees from SAU are Skyler Stromsmoe in baseball, Whitney Brannon, Cheyenne Savony, and Tisha Thompson in softball, and Nelly Tualla and Rachel Vinsant in women’s tennis.

Stromsmoe, from Etzikom, Alberta, Canada, is a health, kinesiology and recreation major, who sports a perfect 4.00 GPA, and is a repeat selection on the Havoc GSC All-Academic Team, having received the same honor last year. The senior was recently named to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-America Team after being a 2007 ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District VI selection. Stromsmoe received the same Academic All-District VI honor in 2006 and was an ESPN The Magazine Third Team Academic All-American. He is now a three-time member (2005-2007) of the GSC Academic Honor Roll and a six-time member of the Southern Arkansas President’s List (4.00 GPA), and was SAU’s 2006 male Scholar-Athlete Award recipient. Stromsmoe was a Daktronics First Team All-South Central Region pick on the field this season, was also a First Team All-GSC honoree, and was twice named the GSC West Division Player of the Week. He received the esteemed SAU Auburn Smith Award this year as the top male student-athlete at the university. Stromsmoe hit .330 this season with 12 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 37 RBI, and was second in Division II with 52 stolen bases, setting a new Mulerider record. He capped off his collegiate career by signing a professional contract in late May with the San Francisco Giants.

A first baseman and outfielder out of Hallsville, Texas, Brannon posted a 3.60 GPA in early childhood education, graduating Cum Laude from Southern Arkansas in May. The senior was a 2007 ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District VI honoree and is a repeat selection to the conference All-Academic Team, being named in 2006 as well. Brannon is now a four-time member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll and is a four-time member of the SAU President’s List. Brannon was a First Team All-GSC pick this year, hitting .366 with eight doubles, five home runs, and 34 RBI. She tied a GSC record during the season with a 25-game hitting streak, and set six Lady Mulerider career and one single-game records, and tied one career and two single-game records. Brannon was honored with the female SAU Auburn Smith Award this year.

Savony, a junior pitcher and outfielder from Kilgore, Texas, has a 3.96 GPA in athletic training. She is now a three-time member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll, and is a five-time member of the Southern Arkansas President’s List, and three-time member of the SAU Dean’s List (minimum 3.50 GPA). The former all-conference performer was a GSC West Division Pitcher of the Week this season and tied a Lady Mulerider single-game record with five RBI. Savony was 11-11 in the circle this year with a 4.00 ERA and led the team with 97 strikeouts and two saves. She hit .291 with seven doubles, one triple, two home runs, 29 RBI, and led the squad with 19 stolen bases.

A third baseman out of Jefferson, Texas, Thompson racked up a 3.63 GPA in health, kinesiology and recreation. The senior was named to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Second Team Academic All-District VI squad and is also a repeat selection on the GSC All-Academic Team, being named last year as well. Now a four-time member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll, Thompson is also a five-time member of the Southern Arkansas Dean’s List. On the field this season, she was a Daktronics Second Team All-South Region and First Team All-GSC pick, and was a two-time GSC West Division Player of the Week. During the year, Thompson set six SAU career and four season records, and tied three single-game records. She led the squad with a .381 batting average and had a team-leading 11 doubles, seven home runs, and 50 RBI.

Tualla, a senior from Nacogdoches, Texas, finished with a 3.95 GPA in accounting, graduating Summa Cum Laude in May. She was named to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District VI team and also received this year’s Southern Arkansas female Scholar-Athlete Award. A three-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar-Athlete, Tualla is a repeat honoree on the GSC All-Academic Team, being named last year. She is now a four-time GSC Academic Honor Roll member, is a six-time member of the SAU President’s List, and a two-time member of the university’s Dean’s List. Tualla was named this year’s Southern Arkansas Outstanding Tennis Athlete, finishing with a 10-14 record at #2 singles, 0-2 at #1 singles, and 13-13 at #2 doubles.

A junior out of Greenville, Texas, Vinsant posted a 3.96 GPA in biological science. Selected to this year’s ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District VI team, she also is a two-time ITA Scholar-Athlete honoree. Vinsant is now a three-time member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll and is a repeat selection on the GSC All-Academic Team. She is a five-time member of the SAU President’s List and a member of the university’s Dean’s List. Vinsant was a First Team All-GSC pick this season for her play on the court. She had a 12-10 record at #1 singles, 1-1 at #2 singles, and 14-12 at #1 doubles.

Of the 15-member institutions in the GSC, Valdosta State had 14 student-athletes named to the All-Academic Teams, Harding had 10, Ouachita Baptist and West Florida had seven each, and Southern Arkansas and North Alabama had six each.

Mulerider baseball team members joining Stromsmoe on the GSC Academic Honor Roll include Jeremy Burba, a sophomore with a 3.30 in business administration-organizational management; Randy Cooner, a freshman undecided major with a 3.45; Tye Glover, a senior with a 3.51 in HKR; Scooter Hendrickson, a junior with a 3.97 in biological science; Cannon Lester, a freshman with a 3.12 in early childhood education; Dane Lucas, a junior with a 3.56 in pre-pharmacy; Todd McQuistion, a sophomore with a 3.24 in HKR; Josh Pomier, a junior with a 3.70 in business administration-organizational management; Kyle Ritter, a senior with a 3.61 in exercise science; Pat Robey, a junior with a 3.78 in HKR; Thomas Tillery, a junior with a 3.32 in HKR; and Drew Webster, a senior with a 3.08 in exercise science.

Members of the men’s golf team making the honor roll are Josh Black, a freshman undecided major with a 3.00; Derrick Fortenberry, a junior with a 3.30 in accounting; Zach Hoglund, a junior with a 3.13 in social studies education; and Justin Moore, a senior with a 3.38 in social studies education.

Lady Mulerider golf team members on the honor roll include Chelsea Roach, a freshman with a 3.43 in pre-physical therapy, and Julia Williams, a junior with a 3.01 in accounting.

Joining Brannon, Savony, and Thompson on the softball honor roll are Kilty Arny, a freshman with a 3.32 in mathematics; Stephanie Beason, a senior with a 3.16 in middle school education; Rebecca Forse, a junior with a 3.90 in exercise science; Samantha Hoelscher, a junior with a 3.53 in exercise science; Joanna Jones, a junior with a 3.80 in psychology; Kirstin Poch, a freshman with a 3.64 in pre-nursing; Kirstie Reed, a junior with a 3.13 in business administration-marketing; and Kayla Sharp, a junior with a 3.68 in Spanish education and HKR.

Other members of the SAU women’s tennis team joining Tualla and Vinsant on the honor roll include Aneeka Bhalla, a junior with a 3.78 in biological science; Tami Chadick, a junior with a 3.17 in pre-pharmacy; Caitlin Korensek, a freshman with a 3.58 in pre-nursing; and Candice Little, a freshman undecided major with a 3.58.

Of the 15-member institutions in the GSC, Christian Brothers and Valdosta State each had 40 student-athletes named to the conference Academic Honor Roll, Ouachita Baptist had 38, and Southern Arkansas and North Alabama had 36 each.

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