SACE August Champions of the Month
8/28/2023 1:47:00 PM | Student-Athlete Center for Excellence, Champions of the Month
Student-Athletes from Football, Men’s Track & Field, Acrobatics & Tumbling and Volleyball selected as August Champions of the Month
WACO, Texas – Devonte Tezino (football), De'montray Callis (men's track & field), Mariah Polk (acrobatics & tumbling) and Riley Simpson (volleyball) have been selected as the Student-Athlete Center for Excellence (SACE) August 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 redshirt freshman from Killeen, Texas, Tezino has worked his way into the defensive line rotation. Devonte "set a high bar for himself after the Fall of 2022," said Molly Pannell, assistant director of learning support. "He puts in the necessary time to understand the information he is being taught in classes and is quick to ask questions when he needs help."
Tezino, who's undecided on a major, said "being a student-athlete at Baylor is an opportunity to get a great education while playing the sport that I love. I am very blessed to be at a college like Baylor and to be in a great community. Professors at Baylor are very helpful, and there are plenty of resources around if I ever need help."
Callis, a 2022 All-American in the 4x100-meter relay, is a junior from Houston, Texas, who is majoring in sociology. Academic coach Travon Carter said De'montray "has been working very hard" to pass his first two Spanish classes this summer. "He continues to grow each semester," Carter said, "and it's awesome to see the growth he has had from freshman year till now."
Going into his third year of college, De'montray said "being a student-athlete at Baylor means sacrifice, hard work, dedication, then work again. It hits different when you make it your lifestyle." He was a two-time state meet qualifier and a member of the academic honor roll at Alief Taylor High School.
A junior from Dallas, Georgia majoring in health science studies, Polk is a base and tumbler who competed in nine events in seven of the 11 meets for the eight-time NCATA national champions. "I truly believe we have some of the best athletes in the country," she said, "so I'm proud to be a part of such an amazing athletic department. When you're at Baylor, you are truly challenged each day in the classroom, so it hasn't always been easy, but it's always been worth it. I've been blessed with a village that really helps me succeed each day in the classroom."
This summer, Mariah was picked to represent Baylor at the Big 12 SAAC Leadership Forum in Irving, Texas, and "exemplified great leadership skills," said character formation coordinator Malcolm Givens.
Majoring in international studies, Simpson is a redshirt sophomore outside or opposite hitter from Colorado Springs, Colo., and recorded 143 kills, 24 aces, 51 digs and 26 blocks last season. "I am so thankful for the opportunity every day to glorify God," she said, "through academics, volleyball and community engagement."
One of the older players on a young volleyball team, Riley "has shown great leadership and communication skills with her teammates," said character formation coordinator Corina Bourantas. "Riley has been a great asset to our community engagement efforts. She is always trying to find something new for her team and herself, and loves giving back to the Waco community."
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 redshirt freshman from Killeen, Texas, Tezino has worked his way into the defensive line rotation. Devonte "set a high bar for himself after the Fall of 2022," said Molly Pannell, assistant director of learning support. "He puts in the necessary time to understand the information he is being taught in classes and is quick to ask questions when he needs help."
Tezino, who's undecided on a major, said "being a student-athlete at Baylor is an opportunity to get a great education while playing the sport that I love. I am very blessed to be at a college like Baylor and to be in a great community. Professors at Baylor are very helpful, and there are plenty of resources around if I ever need help."
Callis, a 2022 All-American in the 4x100-meter relay, is a junior from Houston, Texas, who is majoring in sociology. Academic coach Travon Carter said De'montray "has been working very hard" to pass his first two Spanish classes this summer. "He continues to grow each semester," Carter said, "and it's awesome to see the growth he has had from freshman year till now."
Going into his third year of college, De'montray said "being a student-athlete at Baylor means sacrifice, hard work, dedication, then work again. It hits different when you make it your lifestyle." He was a two-time state meet qualifier and a member of the academic honor roll at Alief Taylor High School.
A junior from Dallas, Georgia majoring in health science studies, Polk is a base and tumbler who competed in nine events in seven of the 11 meets for the eight-time NCATA national champions. "I truly believe we have some of the best athletes in the country," she said, "so I'm proud to be a part of such an amazing athletic department. When you're at Baylor, you are truly challenged each day in the classroom, so it hasn't always been easy, but it's always been worth it. I've been blessed with a village that really helps me succeed each day in the classroom."
This summer, Mariah was picked to represent Baylor at the Big 12 SAAC Leadership Forum in Irving, Texas, and "exemplified great leadership skills," said character formation coordinator Malcolm Givens.
Majoring in international studies, Simpson is a redshirt sophomore outside or opposite hitter from Colorado Springs, Colo., and recorded 143 kills, 24 aces, 51 digs and 26 blocks last season. "I am so thankful for the opportunity every day to glorify God," she said, "through academics, volleyball and community engagement."
One of the older players on a young volleyball team, Riley "has shown great leadership and communication skills with her teammates," said character formation coordinator Corina Bourantas. "Riley has been a great asset to our community engagement efforts. She is always trying to find something new for her team and herself, and loves giving back to the Waco community."
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