ACU Names Its February Student-Athletes Of The Month
2/11/2013 3:31:00 PM | Baseball, General, Men's Golf, Softball, Women's Tennis
ABILENE – Members of the ACU Athletics Department Monday selected Luke Carpenter, Hannah Kelley, Emmett Niland and Sara Vaughn as the February Student-Athletes of the Month in recognition of their recent academic achievements.
The Abilene Teachers Federal Credit Union sponsors the monthly award.
• Luke Carpenter (Golf / So. / Little Rock, Ark.): A double major in finance and management, Carpenter is at the start of his second spring with the Wildcats' golf team. As a freshman, Carpenter earned the title of Lone Star Conference honorable mention after finishing ninth at the league's championship with a 3-over-par 219. He also shot a career low 67 during the second day of 2012 Grand Canyon Thunderbird Invitational en route to a 14th-place score of 3-under-par 213. Carpenter has a 3.58 cumulative grade-point average and has been honored with spots on ACU's Dean's and Athletic Honor Rolls, and the LSC's Commissioner's Honor Roll. His older brothers, Adam and Alex, are seniors on this year's ACU golf team.
• Hannah Kelley (Tennis / Sr. / Richardson, Texas): Kelly is a 2012 all-America doubles player who begins her final semester as an advertising/public relations major with a 3.62 grade-point average. Kelly received her all-America honor from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association at the end of last spring after finishing with a No. 4 national ranking and 18-4 overall record alongside partner Micah Hermsdorf. She also made the all-Lone Star Conference team, and went 19-2 in singles competition last season, which included a 4-0 mark vs. the LSC and 10-1 record at No. 6. Kelley is a 2011 USTA/ITA regional doubles champion and member of ACU's Dean's and Athletic Honor Rolls.
• Emmett Niland (Baseball / Sr. / Seattle, Wash.): Niland is at the start of his second and final year as a Wildcat after transferring to Abilene Christian from Bellevue College in 2011. In his first year at ACU, Niland started 32 games behind the plate and threw out 33 percent of opposing baserunners (15 of 41). He also picked off five runners. Additionally, Niland pitched eight times out of the bullpen, while at the plate, he combined for 28 runs produced and led the Wildcats with 10 sacrifice hits. Niland is majoring in advertising/public relations and communication and has a cumulative grade-point average of 3.41. He is a member of the ACU Athletics Honor Roll.
• Sara Vaughn (Softball / Sr. / Huntsville, Texas): In her first season as a Wildcat, Vaughn - a junior college transfer from Blinn College - earned the title of NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete and Second Team All-Lone Star Conference, while also making the LSC's Commissioner's Honor Roll. In 2012, Vaughn started all 48 games at shortstop for ACU and batted .294 with four home runs, 23 RBI and 33 runs scored. She also ranked seventh in the conference with 15 stolen bases and tied for eighth with 28 walks. Defensively, Vaughn posted a .953 fielding percentage and on Feb. 11 of last season vs. Missouri Southern, she recorded the conference's highest number of assists within a single game with 11. Vaughn is a finance major with a 4.0 and has been tabbed to both ACU's Dean's and Athletic Honor Rolls.
The Abilene Teachers Federal Credit Union sponsors the monthly award.
• Luke Carpenter (Golf / So. / Little Rock, Ark.): A double major in finance and management, Carpenter is at the start of his second spring with the Wildcats' golf team. As a freshman, Carpenter earned the title of Lone Star Conference honorable mention after finishing ninth at the league's championship with a 3-over-par 219. He also shot a career low 67 during the second day of 2012 Grand Canyon Thunderbird Invitational en route to a 14th-place score of 3-under-par 213. Carpenter has a 3.58 cumulative grade-point average and has been honored with spots on ACU's Dean's and Athletic Honor Rolls, and the LSC's Commissioner's Honor Roll. His older brothers, Adam and Alex, are seniors on this year's ACU golf team.
• Hannah Kelley (Tennis / Sr. / Richardson, Texas): Kelly is a 2012 all-America doubles player who begins her final semester as an advertising/public relations major with a 3.62 grade-point average. Kelly received her all-America honor from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association at the end of last spring after finishing with a No. 4 national ranking and 18-4 overall record alongside partner Micah Hermsdorf. She also made the all-Lone Star Conference team, and went 19-2 in singles competition last season, which included a 4-0 mark vs. the LSC and 10-1 record at No. 6. Kelley is a 2011 USTA/ITA regional doubles champion and member of ACU's Dean's and Athletic Honor Rolls.
• Emmett Niland (Baseball / Sr. / Seattle, Wash.): Niland is at the start of his second and final year as a Wildcat after transferring to Abilene Christian from Bellevue College in 2011. In his first year at ACU, Niland started 32 games behind the plate and threw out 33 percent of opposing baserunners (15 of 41). He also picked off five runners. Additionally, Niland pitched eight times out of the bullpen, while at the plate, he combined for 28 runs produced and led the Wildcats with 10 sacrifice hits. Niland is majoring in advertising/public relations and communication and has a cumulative grade-point average of 3.41. He is a member of the ACU Athletics Honor Roll.
• Sara Vaughn (Softball / Sr. / Huntsville, Texas): In her first season as a Wildcat, Vaughn - a junior college transfer from Blinn College - earned the title of NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete and Second Team All-Lone Star Conference, while also making the LSC's Commissioner's Honor Roll. In 2012, Vaughn started all 48 games at shortstop for ACU and batted .294 with four home runs, 23 RBI and 33 runs scored. She also ranked seventh in the conference with 15 stolen bases and tied for eighth with 28 walks. Defensively, Vaughn posted a .953 fielding percentage and on Feb. 11 of last season vs. Missouri Southern, she recorded the conference's highest number of assists within a single game with 11. Vaughn is a finance major with a 4.0 and has been tabbed to both ACU's Dean's and Athletic Honor Rolls.
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