TWENTY-FIVE AVILA STUDENT ATHLETES NAMED TO FALL DAKTRONICS NAIA SCHOLAR ATHLETE LIST

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An astonishing 25 Avila student-athletes across four sports have been named to the 2024 Fall Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes list. Each Avila fall sports team was represented as a Daktronics honoree.

To become a Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete, student-athletes need to have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5, appear on the eligibility certificate for their sport and have attended their institution for at least one full year.

“This is an awesome achievement for our student-athletes,” said Avila Athletics Director Shawn Summe. “They came here to get an opportunity to play their sport but to get their degree is the reason they are in college. To see the success of our student-athletes on the academic side is more rewarding because it means they are on track to graduate and do great things in life."

The Eagles women’s soccer team was represented by an Avila-leading 10 student athletes: Mackenzie Baxley, Alessandra Calderon, Joselyn Clark, Kenan Ebel, Karely Gutierrez, Hope Hines, Annika Holtorf, Samantha Mendez, Leah Reichert and Mia Yerian.

“I’m extremely excited to see the success women’s soccer had on the field and in the classroom,” Summe noted. “That is our goal: be successful on the court and field and in the classroom.”

Avila Football was represented by three student-athletes: Fernando Garcia, Ishe Smith Jr. as well as Kendal Wooley.

On the men’s soccer side were: Thaddeus Chapman, Robert Davies, Trent Day, Johnathan Fager, Malcolm Goswell and Jacob Wood.

Rounding out the fall sport honorees were the Avila women’s volleyball program and their six representatives: Daphne Gardner, Sophia Giorgio, Maddie Jones, Sydney Owens, Chelsea Schatzer and Mackenzie Vochatzer.

Summe concludes: “Congrats to all of our coaches to create the culture of excellence in academics. This is a growth that we will hopefully continue to see as the years go on.”

A full list of Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes for fall sports can be found here.