SACE July Champions of the Month
7/21/2023 10:48:00 AM | Student-Athlete Center for Excellence, Champions of the Month
Student-Athletes from Women’s Basketball, Track & Field, Football and Men’s Golf selected as July Champions of the Month
WACO, Texas – Sarah Andrews (women's basketball), Kourtney Kennard (track & field), Jack Stone (football) and Drew Wrightson (men's golf) have been selected as the Student-Athlete Center for Excellence (SACE) July 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.
Coming off her best season, Andrews was selected to represent Baylor at the NCAA Career and Sports Forum in Indianapolis, where she spent three days learning about her potential options for a career in sports after her playing days. "Several leaders at the event reached out to Baylor staff members to comment on how encouraged they were by Sarah's involvement with their programming," said learning specialist Molly Pannell. "Sarah said she was able to walk away with a better understanding of what she wanted to do after college."
A senior from Irving, Texas, majoring in corporate communication, Andrews earned first-team All-Big 12 honors last year, averaging 14.7 points and 4.3 assists. "I feel the opportunity to be at Baylor is amazing," she said. "Academics here at Baylor have been a little challenging, but I have been blessed to have so many great professors and tutors who have taken the time to help me grow as a student."
Kennard, a senior from Detroit, Mich., majoring in communications, is "always striving to improve on her academic success every semester and she does not shy away from any academic challenge," said academic coach Travon Carter. "Kourtney has done a great job keeping her GPA above a 3.00 while balancing the load of a student-athlete."
Kourtney, who competed in both of Baylor's home meets last season, said she has "overcome many struggles to make it to where I am, and in the face of adversity. God continues to guide me to become a better person in the classroom, on the track and in my daily life. Baylor has shown me that I have the potential to be the best I can be and inspire and inspire others in all areas of my life."
A freshman from Dallas majoring in pre-business, Stone transferred from Michigan State, where he was 15-of-16 on extra points and 2-of-4 on field goals with a 51-yarder in the regular-season finale at Penn State. Pannell said Jack "has beaten me to the office every day for the last several weeks and has been locked-in every time I have walked past him studying."
Ranked as the No. 4 kicking prospect in the country coming out of Highland Park High School, Stone said he is representing something bigger than himself "in a positive way on and off the field" as a student-athlete at Baylor. "I am very thankful to be able to attend and play at Baylor. This school is awesome, and the community is amazing. My journey with academics has taught me how effective hard work is when it comes to my studies."
A junior pre-med major from Zionsville, Ind., Wrightson has a 3.98 cumulative GPA and "crushed it in the classroom" with a 4.0 in the spring semester. "He continues to go above and beyond to excel in the classroom and always wants to do his best academically," said Lauren Kirby, Assistant AD for Learning Support. "Being pre-med is challenging, but I wouldn't want to do it anywhere else," Drew said.
Wrightson had a 72.88-stroke average as a sophomore with three top-10 finishes, including a tie for sixth at the Big 12 Championship. "The professors and academic resources are second to none," he said. "The journey with my academics has been enjoyable. I was fortunate enough to have a great role model in my sister who was also pre-med.
I was able to learn how to study and how much time to study in advance for tests. As a result, when I prepare for exams, I feel confident. I enjoy the journey."
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.
Coming off her best season, Andrews was selected to represent Baylor at the NCAA Career and Sports Forum in Indianapolis, where she spent three days learning about her potential options for a career in sports after her playing days. "Several leaders at the event reached out to Baylor staff members to comment on how encouraged they were by Sarah's involvement with their programming," said learning specialist Molly Pannell. "Sarah said she was able to walk away with a better understanding of what she wanted to do after college."
A senior from Irving, Texas, majoring in corporate communication, Andrews earned first-team All-Big 12 honors last year, averaging 14.7 points and 4.3 assists. "I feel the opportunity to be at Baylor is amazing," she said. "Academics here at Baylor have been a little challenging, but I have been blessed to have so many great professors and tutors who have taken the time to help me grow as a student."
Kennard, a senior from Detroit, Mich., majoring in communications, is "always striving to improve on her academic success every semester and she does not shy away from any academic challenge," said academic coach Travon Carter. "Kourtney has done a great job keeping her GPA above a 3.00 while balancing the load of a student-athlete."
Kourtney, who competed in both of Baylor's home meets last season, said she has "overcome many struggles to make it to where I am, and in the face of adversity. God continues to guide me to become a better person in the classroom, on the track and in my daily life. Baylor has shown me that I have the potential to be the best I can be and inspire and inspire others in all areas of my life."
A freshman from Dallas majoring in pre-business, Stone transferred from Michigan State, where he was 15-of-16 on extra points and 2-of-4 on field goals with a 51-yarder in the regular-season finale at Penn State. Pannell said Jack "has beaten me to the office every day for the last several weeks and has been locked-in every time I have walked past him studying."
Ranked as the No. 4 kicking prospect in the country coming out of Highland Park High School, Stone said he is representing something bigger than himself "in a positive way on and off the field" as a student-athlete at Baylor. "I am very thankful to be able to attend and play at Baylor. This school is awesome, and the community is amazing. My journey with academics has taught me how effective hard work is when it comes to my studies."
A junior pre-med major from Zionsville, Ind., Wrightson has a 3.98 cumulative GPA and "crushed it in the classroom" with a 4.0 in the spring semester. "He continues to go above and beyond to excel in the classroom and always wants to do his best academically," said Lauren Kirby, Assistant AD for Learning Support. "Being pre-med is challenging, but I wouldn't want to do it anywhere else," Drew said.
Wrightson had a 72.88-stroke average as a sophomore with three top-10 finishes, including a tie for sixth at the Big 12 Championship. "The professors and academic resources are second to none," he said. "The journey with my academics has been enjoyable. I was fortunate enough to have a great role model in my sister who was also pre-med.
I was able to learn how to study and how much time to study in advance for tests. As a result, when I prepare for exams, I feel confident. I enjoy the journey."
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