SACE April Champions of the Month
4/26/2022 6:58:00 PM | Student-Athlete Center for Excellence, Champions of the Month
Student-Athletes from Football, Soccer and Volleyball selected as April Champions of the Month.
WACO, Texas – TJ Franklin (football), Hal Presley (football), Sarah Hornyak (soccer) and Alicia Andrew (volleyball) have been selected as the Student-Athlete Center for Excellence (SACE) April 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.
Key contributor on football's Big 12 championship team that set a program record with 12 wins (12-2), Franklin had 28 tackles, four sacks, six tackles for losses, three QB hurries, one forced fumble and a blocked kick as a junior defensive end. From nearby Temple High School, TJ came to Baylor as an early-enrollee freshman in January 2019 and played in 11 games as a true freshman, making two solo tackles in the Sugar Bowl.
"TJ has grown tremendously this last academic year," said Emily DeRatt, Director of Academic Services. "This year, he has really just clicked academically. He earned his personal-best GPA in the fall semester while also competing at a high level on the field." A junior majoring in communications, TJ is "also on track to set a new personal best this semester."
Presley, a freshman receiver from Mansfield, Texas, originally signed with Auburn, but transferred to Baylor last summer and played in eight of the Big 12 champions' 14 games last season. A four-star recruit, he caught 46 passes for 1,212 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior for a Mansfield Summit team that made it to the Class 5A Division I state semifinals.
Majoring in health, kinesiology & leisure studies, Presley "puts forth tremendous effort and is willing to put in as much as it takes for him to be successful," said learning specialist Molly Pannell. "Academics are important to me because I know that there is life without football and that football will not always be my life," Presley said. "Baylor Athletics has allowed me to grow in so many different places and overcoming hard situations in life."
Starting 32 games over the last two seasons as a back-row defender, Hornyak has helped the "No Goal Patrol" defense record 14 shutouts. A sophomore from Southlake, Texas, the pre-business major was selected for an in-person marketing internship with Nike this summer in Beaverton, Ore.
To Sarah, being an academic champion means "having the courage and perseverance to push through, no matter the obstacles." She said Baylor Athletics "is a family and home away from home. Being a part of Baylor Athletics is truly special knowing that I represent a successful program that is unapologetically Christian."
Expected to take on a significant role next season after redshirting, the 6-foot-4 Andrew has still been able to "find more time to apply her knowledge and study skills for challenging classes" while seeing her playing time in scrimmages and practices increase this spring. "She has not backed down from the challenge," learning specialist Ryan Jolivette said, "but has only been improving by leaps and bounds in the classroom."
A freshman pre-med major from Ridgefield, Wash., Andrew has also been able to lead and serve others as an FCA Leader this semester. "Being a part of the Baylor volleyball team has given me the opportunity to work with an amazing academic support staff. They support, encourage and challenge me to be better every day on and off the court."
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.
Key contributor on football's Big 12 championship team that set a program record with 12 wins (12-2), Franklin had 28 tackles, four sacks, six tackles for losses, three QB hurries, one forced fumble and a blocked kick as a junior defensive end. From nearby Temple High School, TJ came to Baylor as an early-enrollee freshman in January 2019 and played in 11 games as a true freshman, making two solo tackles in the Sugar Bowl.
"TJ has grown tremendously this last academic year," said Emily DeRatt, Director of Academic Services. "This year, he has really just clicked academically. He earned his personal-best GPA in the fall semester while also competing at a high level on the field." A junior majoring in communications, TJ is "also on track to set a new personal best this semester."
Presley, a freshman receiver from Mansfield, Texas, originally signed with Auburn, but transferred to Baylor last summer and played in eight of the Big 12 champions' 14 games last season. A four-star recruit, he caught 46 passes for 1,212 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior for a Mansfield Summit team that made it to the Class 5A Division I state semifinals.
Majoring in health, kinesiology & leisure studies, Presley "puts forth tremendous effort and is willing to put in as much as it takes for him to be successful," said learning specialist Molly Pannell. "Academics are important to me because I know that there is life without football and that football will not always be my life," Presley said. "Baylor Athletics has allowed me to grow in so many different places and overcoming hard situations in life."
Starting 32 games over the last two seasons as a back-row defender, Hornyak has helped the "No Goal Patrol" defense record 14 shutouts. A sophomore from Southlake, Texas, the pre-business major was selected for an in-person marketing internship with Nike this summer in Beaverton, Ore.
To Sarah, being an academic champion means "having the courage and perseverance to push through, no matter the obstacles." She said Baylor Athletics "is a family and home away from home. Being a part of Baylor Athletics is truly special knowing that I represent a successful program that is unapologetically Christian."
Expected to take on a significant role next season after redshirting, the 6-foot-4 Andrew has still been able to "find more time to apply her knowledge and study skills for challenging classes" while seeing her playing time in scrimmages and practices increase this spring. "She has not backed down from the challenge," learning specialist Ryan Jolivette said, "but has only been improving by leaps and bounds in the classroom."
A freshman pre-med major from Ridgefield, Wash., Andrew has also been able to lead and serve others as an FCA Leader this semester. "Being a part of the Baylor volleyball team has given me the opportunity to work with an amazing academic support staff. They support, encourage and challenge me to be better every day on and off the court."
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