PDF OF LETTER

To our many donors, supporters and fans, I am pleased to report that McNeese Athletics had another successful year.

Academically, the Southland Conference recognized 133 McNeese student­-athletes for maintaining a 3.0 or higher Grade Point Average, setting a school record. For the sixth year in a row, all 16 sports met or surpassed the NCAA Academic Progress Rate.

Many of our student-athletes achieved personal best records or earned individual recognition in their sport. Our baseball team won the Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Regionals in Nashville where they represented McNeese, Lake Charles and all of Southwest Louisiana in a first-class manner.

Our athletic facilities are the premiere venue in the Southland Conference. Last fall we opened the Health & Human Performance Education Complex and it is an award winning and magnificent addition to the McNeese campus. For the first time in many years, our basketball teams played on a home court that is on campus and we recorded the second largest basketball attendance in the SLC. Our volleyball team will play its first season in the H&HP this fall.

Several of our athletic venues have been improved over the summer or are currently undergoing renovations. 

Additional lighting was added in the large parking lot in front of Doland Fieldhouse and new fencing was installed on the Common Street side of the tailgate area and at the football practice field. The Cowgirl Soccer stadium is getting new fencing and a spectator cover over a portion of the grandstands. New walkways are being added at the Lena and Bill Henning Track Complex and a new concession stand and restroom facilities at Joe Miller Ballpark will greatly improve the fan experience next spring.

We are fortunate to have stability in our coaching staff and we brought on two new outstanding head coaches. Sterlin Gilbert is directing our football team and Derek Plucienski is leading our men's golf team. The strength of the McNeese brand across the country is evident by the quality and quantity of applicants that applied for these positions. 

This past year $1.81 million was raised for McNeese Athletics. These funds are critical to maintaining the excellent quality of our programs and facilities. I am sincerely grateful to the booster organizations and individual donors for their financial support of our athletic programs.

The many individual awards our student athletes earned are highlighted by Blake Elliott and Bryan King. Blake was chosen as the Southland Conference Golfer of the Year, Louisiana Golfer of the Year, 1st team All SLC, 1st team All Louisiana, Division I PING All Central Region, 3rd Team Division I PING All American and ended the year ranked No. 13 in the NCAA as an individual. 

Bryan King (baseball pitcher) was the recipient of the prestigious F.L. McDonald post graduate scholarship. He was also a Google Cloud Academic All-American and chosen in the 30th round of the major league baseball draft by the Chicago Cubs. Below is a list of accomplishments from the past year as well as some well recognized accomplishments of former Cowboys & Cowgirls. 

Our fans and donors are responsible for much for our success. We appreciate your generosity and relentless support. Because of you, the future of McNeese Athletics is bright and exciting. 


2018-19 McNeese Athletics Championships and Awards
 
ATHLETIC AWARDS
 
Team Championships
Baseball:
Southland Conference Tournament Champions
 
All-Southland Conference (49)
• Football (8):
1^st Team – LB B.J. Blunt, DB Colby Burton, P Alex Kjellsten
2^nd Team – OL Grant Burguillos, DL Chris Livings
Honorable Mention – WR Cyron Sutton, DL Cody Roscoe, PK Gunnar Raborn
 
• Soccer (7):
2^nd Team – Sarah Clayton, Nola Prickett, Havana Johnson, Rachel Palet
Honorable Mention – Keely Morrow, Morgan Middleton, Emma Roccaforte
 
• Volleyball (1):
2^nd Team – Keegan Nelms
 
• Women's Cross Country (1):
1^st Team –Gladys Jerotich
 
• Men's Basketball (1):
Honorable Mention – Roydell Brown
 
• Women's Basketball (1):
Honorable Mention – Callie Maddox
 
• Baseball (6):
1^st Team – DH Clayton Rasbeary
2^nd Team – 2B Nate Fisbeck
3^rd Team – 3B Carson Maxwell, U Jake Dickerson
All-Defense – 3B Carson Maxwell
Honorable Mention – RP Will Dion
 
• Softball (7):
1^st Team – OF Justyce McClain
2^nd Team – P Alexsandra Flores
3^rd Team – SS Cori McCrary, C Aubree Turbeville, OF Kaylee Lopez
Honorable Mention – OF Toni Perrin, P Saleen Flores
 
• Men's Golf (3):
1^st Team – Blake Elliott
3^rd Team – Jack Hearn
Honorable Mention – Sutton Farmer
 
• Women's Golf (1):
3^rd Team – Riley Isaac
 
• Men's Indoor Track & Field (2):
3^rd Team – Tyler Smith, 60m Dash; Darion Dunn, 60m Hurdles
 
• Women's Indoor Track & Field (5):
1^st Team – Alex Eykelbosch, 5000m; Alanna Arvie, Weight Throw
2^nd Team – Aleyah Donald, 60m Dash; Alex Eykelbosch, 3000m
3^rd Team – Grace McKenzie, High Jump
 
• Men's Outdoor Track & Field (3):
2^nd Team – Tyler Smith, 100m Dash
3^rd Team – Tyler Smith, 200m Dash; 4x100m Relay Team (Wilshawn Williams, Tyler Smith, Gared Brown, Tyler Syrie)
 
• Women's Outdoor Track & Field (2):
2^nd Team – Aleyah Donald, 100m Dash; Gladys Jerotich, 10,000m
 
Southland Conference Individual Top Awards (2)
• BJ Blunt (Football Defensive Player of the Year)
• Blake Elliott (Men's Golf Player of the Year)
 
 
All-Louisiana (31)
• Football (5):
1^st Team – LB B.J. Blunt
2^nd Team – OL Grant Burguillos, DL Chris Livings, DB Colby Burton, P Alex Kjellsten
 
• Volleyball (1):
2^nd Team – Keegan Nelms
 
• Baseball (4):
1^st Team – 2B Nate Fisbeck
2^nd Team – P Aidan Anderson, P Will Dion, DH Clayton Rasbeary
 
• Softball (1):
2^nd Team – OF Justyce McClain
 
• Women's Tennis (1):
1^st Team – Charoline Erlandsson
 
• Men's Golf (1):
1^st Team – Blake Elliott
 
• Men's Track and Field (8):
3^rd Team – 4x100m Relay (Tyler Smith, Morgan Smith, Jared Brown, Tyler Syrie); Miguel Barrera-Lopez (2; 5000m and 10000m); Lentz Similien (high jump); Darko Radakovic (discus)
 
• Women's Track and Field (6):
1^st Team – Grace McKenzie (heptathlon); Alanna Arvie (hammer)
2^nd Team – Gladys Jerotich (5000m)
3^rd Team – Alex Eykelbosch (5000m); Alissa Lander (10,000m); Grace McKenzie (long jump)
 
Louisiana Top Awards (1)
• Blake Elliott (Men's Golf Player of the Year)
 
 
All-Region Teams (3)
• Men's Golf (1):
Blake Elliott (Division I PING All-Central Region)
 
• Baseball (1):
Nate Fisbeck (ABCA All-District)
 
• Softball (1):
Justyce McClain (NFCA Division I All-Region 1^st Team)
 
 
All-America (6)
• Football (2):
BJ Blunt, LB (AP 1^st team; AFCA 1^st team; Walter Camp 1^st team; STATS 1^st team; Hero Sports 2^nd team)
Alex Kjellsten, P (Hero Sports 3^rd team)
 
• Women's Indoor Track & Field (1):
Grace McKenzie, Pentathlon (NCAA)
 
• Baseball (1):
Will Dion (NCBWA Freshman All-American)
 
• Softball (1):
Justyce McClain (Softball America Honorable Mention)
 
• Men's Golf (1):
Blake Elliott (Division I PING 3^rd team)
 

NCAA Postseason
• Indoor Track and Field:
Grace McKenzie (NCAA Championships, 8^th place in pentathlon)
 
• Baseball:
NCAA Nashville Regional
 
• Men's Golf:
Blake Elliott (NCAA Austin Regional)
 
• Outdoor Track and Field:
Tyler Smith (NCAA East Preliminary Round)
Alanna Arvie (NCAA East Preliminary Round)
 
Major League Baseball Draft (4)
Shane Selman (21^st round, Oakland Athletics)
Carson Maxwell (25^th round, Arizona Diamondbacks)
Cayne Ueckert (27^th round, Chicago Cubs)
Bryan King (30^th round, Chicago Cubs)
 
Baseball Freshman All-American
P Will Dion (NCBWA and Baseball America)
 
ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove
3B Carson Maxwell (1^st player in school history to receive the award)
 
 
ACADEMIC AWARDS
 
Google Cloud Academic All-America
• Bryan King (Baseball, 2^nd Team)
 
Google Cloud Academic All-District
• Bryan King (Baseball, 1^st Team)
 
Southland Conference F.L. McDonald Post-graduate Scholarship
• Bryan King (Baseball)
 
SLC All-Academic (20)
• Men's Cross Country (1):
2^nd Team – Niall Holt
 
• Women's Cross Country (2):
1^st Team – Gladys Jerotich
2^nd Team – Alex Eykelbosch
 
• Volleyball (1):
2^nd Team – Keegan Nelms
 
• Soccer (1):
2^nd Team – Rachel Palet
 
• Football (2):
1^st Team –Alex Kjellsten, Gunnar Raborn
 
• Baseball (1):
1^st Team – Bryan King
 
• Men's Golf (1):
1^st Team – Reid Giardina
 
• Softball (2):
1^st Team – Justyce McClain
2^nd Team – Aubree Turbeville
 
• Women's Tennis (3):
2^nd Team – Charline Erlandsson
 
• Men's Track & Field (1):
Nemanja Koviljac
 
• Women's Track & Field (5):
Alanna Arvie, Aleyah Donald, Alex Eykelbosch, Gladys Jerotich, Grace McKenzie
 
US Soccer Coaches All-Region Scholar
• Rachel Palet
 
US Track & Field and Cross Country All-Academic
• Men's Cross Country Team
• Women's Cross Country Team
• Women's Track & Field Team
• Alanna Arvie, Women's Track & Field
• Grace McKenzie, Women's Track & Field


FORMER COWBOYS & COWGIRLS
• Erika Piancastelli (softball) - member of the Italian National Team that qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
• Robert MacIntyre (golf) - in his rookie season on the European Tour. Recently tied for 6th at the British Open Championships and is currently ranked 14th on the European Tour list for the Race to Dubai, and 104th in the world rankings.
• B.J. Blunt (football) - in training camp with the Washington Redskins.
• Diontae Spencer (football) - in training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Betina Brulhart (soccer) - member of the Switzerland National Soccer Team.
• Charles Jackson (track) - sprinter who just competed in the 200m at the USATF Outdoor Championships.
• Kent Shelby (football) - WR for the Sioux Falls Storm of the Indoor Football League who recently won the IFL Championship.
• Lauren Thompson (track) - Recently finished 2nd in the 400m hurdles at the English National Track and Field Championships.
• Simone Johnson (track) - Earned All-American honors as a linebacker with the Houston Energy of the Women's Football Alliance.
• Jace Peterson (baseball) called up to the Orioles Major League team