SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State Athletic Department hosted its annual Holland's Sports Banquet, sponsored by Holland's Jewelry, on Tuesday night inside Junell Center/Stephens Arena, honoring some of the best performances both in the classroom and on the field or court.
At the banquet, 14 students were given the Holland's award in their respective sports as voted on by their teammates. The winner exemplifies what it means to be an ASU student-athlete in competition, in the classroom, and in the community.
Taking home the award for their respective teams were: Sarah Toj Castro (Athletic Training), Jordan Williams (Baseball), Willie Guy (Men's Basketball), Payton Brown (Women's Basketball), Wesley Rogers (Men's Cross Country), Allison Vaughn (Women's Cross Country), Kyle Lumpkins (Men's Track and Field), Maricia Spence (Women's Track and Field), Eric Rascoe (Football), Ramitha Irrinki (Women's Tennis), Paxton Scheurer (Softball), Patrizia Schaefer (Women's Golf), Cassidy Hill (Women's Soccer), and Caleigh Enax (Women's Volleyball).
ASU also recognized 124 student-athletes and trainers who were named to the 2023 Athletic Academic Honor Roll. To be selected, student-athletes must have at least a 3.2 GPA, be a sophomore in athletic and academic standing, and have completed two semesters at ASU.
The Athletic Academic Excellence Award is given annually to one male and one female who have met the following criteria; hold a 3.25 GPA, be a junior or senior athletically, attended ASU for a minimum of two semesters, and exhausted one year of eligibility. The male recipient was Ram Baseball's Rance Rosas, and the female recipient was Belle Volleyball's Hannah Kinnison.
The Golden Horn Award is given to a team for outstanding work in the community and athletic success. This award encompasses what it means to be a student-athlete at Angelo State and be committed to excellence in the classroom, in the community, and in the area of competition.
With 513 community service hours and a team GPA of 3.56, the 2023 Golden Horn winner was the Belle Volleyball program.
Angelo State Athletics also named the 2023 Kathleen Brasfield Female Athlete of the Year and the 2023 Phil George Male Athlete of the Year; Rambelle Basketball's Sawyer Lloyd and Ram Football's Zach Bronkhorst received the two awards, respectively.
Lloyd, a junior from Wall, was named the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Academic Player of the Year. She was a First Team All-Region selection and was named an All-American by the WBCA and World Exposure Sports. Lloyd averaged 15.5 points per game and 2.6 steals per game as she helped lead the Rambelles to a 26-7 record, an LSC Tournament Championship, and the top seed in the South Central Regional.
Bronkhorst, a senior from Galveston, was named to the All-LSC First Team after putting together a season in which he threw for 3,168 yards and 26 touchdowns. The Rams' quarterback led his squad to an undefeated regular season, their highest-ever ranking in the AFCA Top 25 (No. 2), the top seed in Super Region 4, and the Rams' first outright LSC Championship since 1989.
