By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information & OVC Media Relations
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech's tradition of seeing student-athletes succeeding at the highest level of the Ohio Valley Conference continued Tuesday morning as the League announced its six recipients of the 2022-23 OVC Scholar-Athlete Award, including Golden Eagle tennis junior Jun Sasagawa and women's cross country sophomore Ruby Wyles.
The award is given annually to three men and three women student-athletes for their accomplishments in both the classroom and athletic arena, and because of their leadership qualities. This marks the sixth time in the past seven years at least one Tech student-athlete was honored.
Sasagawa and Wyles represent the 37th and 38th Golden Eagle student-athletes to take home the honor and the seventh and eighth in the past seven years. Last year, football's Seth Carlisle earned the honor for the purple and gold.
"This is phenomenal news to see not one, but two of Tennessee Tech's student-athletes being recognized for their commitment as student-athletes, with the student coming first," Tech Director of Athletics Mark Wilson expressed. "Jun is a class act both on and off the tennis courts and Ruby is one of the nicest, most energetic young women you could meet. Both are very deserving of this honor.
"Our student-athletes continue to achieve at the highest level and this is just another example of that. I am so proud that we have been represented with one of these honors so frequently over the last seven years. Jun and Ruby truly earned this honor and we are elated to have them representing our University."
After transferring to Tech after his freshman season, Sasagawa earned a national ranking as a doubles team (with Evzen Holis) for a squad that would win the OVC regular season championship. Last year he was 11-11 overall, including a 5-2 OVC mark, for a team that won the OVC Tournament Championship.
In the classroom, he has a 3.95 grade point average in sports administration, as a member of the Tennessee Tech Honors Program. He has earned the OVC Academic Medal of Honor, the 2022 President's Award, and has been a multiple-time selection to the TTU Dean's List. He also serves as Vice President of The Welcoming of TTU Student Organization, which has a focus on bringing international students to campus.
In her debut season with the cross country team, Wyles was named OVC Freshman of the Year and then placed 12th at the OVC Championship, earning second-team All-OVC honors and then posting a PR in the 6K at the NCAA South Regionals. She won the 5000 meters at the OVC Indoor Championship and placed fourth in the 3000 meters. At the OVC Outdoor Championship, she was fourth in the 10,000 meters and sixth in the 5000 meters. For her work, she was named the 2022 TTU Female Freshman Athlete of the Year.
In the classroom, she carries a 4.0 grade point average in exercise science. She earned the 2022 Undergraduate Research Award from the College of Education and the OVC Academic Medal of Honor. Wyles also serves as a teaching assistant in the Chemistry Department and helps tutor high school students in a variety of subjects. She also helped create The Oval Magazine, which covers cross country and track and field.
The other 2022-23 OVC Scholar-Athlete winners included Anton Albers of Little Rock (golf), Jill Lambrechts of SIUE (tennis), MacKenzie Neal of Morehead State (golf), and Bryce Ward of Morehead State (rifle).
The six winners were selected from a group of 16 finalists by a vote of OVC Faculty Athletics Representatives. Honorees must have performed athletically with distinction, earned at least a 3.5 grade-point average, and conducted themselves in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, his or her institution, intercollegiate athletics, and the OVC. The award is based on academic and athletic criteria/accomplishments achieved during the 2021-22 school year.
Other nominees for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Mackenzie Balcerak of Eastern Illinois (soccer), Maria Castaldo of UT Martin (soccer), Shelby Dunlap of Little Rock (track & field), Bryson Morrell of UT Martin (golf), and Thomas Wallace of Eastern Illinois (tennis).
Photos by Thomas Corhern
