Waco, Texas – Brennah Cotner (acrobatics & tumbling), Mackenzie Altheimer (equestrian), Aeneas Clark (baseball) and Langston love (men's basketball) have been selected as the Student-Athlete Center for Excellence (SACE) October Champions of the Month. 
 
This award recognizes student-athletes who achieve their personal bests in the areas of academic achievement, athletic success, character formation and spiritual growth. 
 
Each of these student-athletes was nominated by a SACE team member based upon their embodiment of each of the four pillars.
 
A sophomore from Katy, Texas, Cotner was part of the 2021 NCATA national championship team. Even as an underclassman, she has "become a spiritual leader on her team," said Director of Sports Ministry John Maurer. "helping start and lead a team Bible study and bringing teammates to FCA, BUnflitered and iDisciple."
 
Majoring in health, kinesiology and leisure studies, Brennah describes Baylor Athletics as a "loving community that consistently pushes you to grow into the best person, student and athlete you can be. Baylor Athletics has taught me ways I can love, serve and encourage my teammates and all the people around me."
 
Altheimer, a first-year transfer from the University of South Florida, "brings light to each space she occupies," said Character Formation Coordinator Monique Felix. "Kenzie is someone who is incredibly passionate about getting better, learning and connecting with people. She has been very involved in Character Formation and seeks every extra hour she can to spend volunteering."
 
A pre-business major, Mackenzie said being a part of the Baylor equestrian team "has shown me the importance of hard work and teamwork. Here at Baylor, I'm supported academically and athletically, which will set me up for success on whatever path I take." 
 
Clark, a first-year freshman from Peoria, Ariz., "embodies everything we strive to promote in our Champions for Life," Monique Felix said. Aeneas "goes in for extra time to work on his academics, even when he does not need to, he seeks advice from his peers and looks for ways to be an asset and use his God-given abilities. Aeneas is a role model among his peers."
 
An infielder with the baseball team who spent a post-grad year at IMG Academy, Clark is a pre-business major. "I'm humbled by this recognition," he said, "and grateful that Baylor's commitment to excellence and development has continued to push me each day to grow as a student-athlete."
 
Part of a freshman recruiting class that was ranked as high as No. 4 nationally by ESPN, Love is a 6-foot-5, 4-star guard from Universal City, Texas, who won a national championship at Montverde (Fla.) Academy last year. In addition to holding himself to a high standard academically, staying on top of his classwork, Love helped with the literacy program in Waco, reading for Parkdale Elementary students. 
 
"I am very blessed to have the opportunity to make an impact in the classroom and on the court," Langston said. "I am committed to continuing the pursuit of being the best person I can be." Suffering a torn ACL in a scrimmage against Texas A&M, Love will have surgery and redshirt this season, "and we know he'll work hard and come back stronger than ever," head coach Scott Drew said.