IRVING, Texas – Commissioner Tim Pernetti has announced that Wichita State cross country standout Jackson Caldwell and Charlotte track and field All-American Riley Felts have been chosen as the 2023-24 American Athletic Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year, as chosen by the conference’s Academic Committee.
Caldwell, who was chosen as The American’s Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and Felts, The American’s Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, will each receive a $4,000 postgraduate financial scholarship.
Caldwell and Felts were chosen from a group of 23 individual sport Scholar-Athletes of the Year who received $2,000 postgraduate scholarships. The 23 Scholar-Athletes of the Year include 10 individuals who won individual conference titles or earned conference Player of the Year accolades during the 2023-24 season.
“I am proud to present the American Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards to 23 of our outstanding student-athletes,” said Pernetti. “And I am especially pleased to recognize Jackson Caldwell and Riley Felts as our Male and Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year, the best of the best. Jackson and Riley join an impressive list of champions and scholars who have won these awards and set the highest standard for all of our student-athletes.”
Caldwell, a native of Overland Park, Kansas, becomes the second consecutive Wichita State student-athlete to be named as The American’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year after former Shocker baseball standout Brock Rodden earned the honor in 2023. Caldwell earned all-conference honors at the 2023 American Athletic Conference Men’s Cross Country Championship, where he set the Shockers’ program record for an 8,000-meter race (23:31.7). He registered top-25 finishes in the 2022 and 2023 conference championships and helped Wichita State to a pair of runner-up finishes in the team standings (2021, 2022).
Caldwell holds a 3.99 grade-point average as an aerospace engineering major and earned a 4.00 semester GPA in five of his six terms.
Felts, who hails from Matthews, North Carolina, becomes the first Charlotte student-athlete to be chosen as The American’s Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Felts was the runner-up in the pole vault in both the NCAA indoor and outdoor championship meets as she registered the highest national individual finish in school history in any sport. She is a six-time conference champion who helped the 49ers to a sweep of the indoor and outdoor team titles in Charlotte’s first year in The American.
Felts earned a 4.00 grade-point average as an undergraduate and holds a 3.90 GPA in Charlotte’s postgraduate civil engineering program. She won the Charlotte Provost Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Award as the 49ers’ top all-around student-athlete and was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America first team.
Selections for the 23 Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, as well as the Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, are made by the Academic Committee on the basis of academic credentials and athletic performance. Each conference school may nominate one student-athlete per sport who has achieved senior academic standing as determined by the institution. A winner is chosen from each of the conference’s 21 sponsored sports in addition to at-large selections from sports not sponsored by the conference.
The complete list of 2023-24 winners and historical Scholar-Athletes of the Year are on the following pages.
Scholar-Athletes of the Year
The American Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards are among of a number of scholarships presented by the conference during the academic year.
The conference has presented individual sport Scholar-Athletes of the Year in baseball, men’s basketball and women’s basketball since the 2013-14 season. The conference has presented individual awards in all other sports beginning with the 2017-18 season.
2024 American Athletic Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Jackson Caldwell, Wichita State (Cross Country)
2024 American Athletic Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Riley Felts, Charlotte (Track and Field)
2024 American Athletic Conference Sport Scholar-Athletes of the Year
| Sport | Student-Athlete | School | Highlights |
| Baseball | Carter Cunningham | East Carolina | AAC Player of the Year; first team Academic All-America |
| Men’s Basketball | Max Fiedler | Rice | Third team Academic All-America; Rice’s career leader in rebounds and assists |
| Women’s Basketball | Dazia Lawrence | Charlotte | Two-time first team all-conference selection |
| Men’s Cross Country | Jackson Caldwell | Wichita State | Two top-25 finishes at AAC Championship; school record at 2023 championship |
| Women’s Cross Country | Lauren Johnston | Charlotte | Placed sixth at 2023 AAC Championship to earn all-conference honors |
| Football | Lucas Dean | UTSA | Four-time all-conference punter, including second-team All-AAC honors in 2023 |
| Men’s Golf | Jake Peacock | South Florida | Individual medalist at 2024 AAC Championship and 2024 AAC Player of the Year |
| Women’s Golf | Melanie Green | South Florida | 2024 AAC Player of the Year; four-time All-AAC; R&A Women’s Amateur Champion |
| Women’s Lacrosse | Belle Mastropietro | Temple | Three-time AAC Midfielder of the Year; four-time first team All-AAC selection |
| Women’s Rowing | Isabella Musollino | Tulsa | Two-time all-conference selection; coxswain of 2024 AAC champion varsity eight |
| Men’s Soccer | Ajmeer Spengler | South Florida | First team all-conference midfielder |
| Women’s Soccer | Mya Jones | Memphis | 2023 AAC Offensive Player of the Year; four-time all-conference selection |
| Softball | Addison Barnard | Wichita State | First player in NCAA history with 90 HR and 60 SB; ranks fifth in NCAA career HR |
| Women’s Swimming and Diving | Imogen Meers | Rice | 2024 AAC champion in 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke |
| Men’s Tennis | Alvin Tudorica | South Florida | All-conference selection in both singles and doubles in 2024 |
| Women’s Tennis | Taylor Johnson | SMU | 2024 AAC Player of the Year and two-time all-conference selection |
| Men’s Indoor Track and Field | Shaun Kerry | Rice | Honorable mention All-America in hammer throw at 2024 NCAA Championship |
| Women’s Indoor Track and Field | Riley Felts | Charlotte | NCAA runner-up in indoor and outdoor pole vault; two-time Academic All-America |
| Men’s Outdoor Track and Field | Sam Welsh | Rice | 2024 AAC champion in the discus throw; won three career conference titles |
| Women’s Outdoor Track and Field | Chloe Hershenow | Tulsa | 2024 AAC champion in the 5,000 and 10,000; three AAC titles in the 10,000 |
| Women’s Volleyball | Kayley Cassaday | Tulsa | AVCA honorable mention All-America; first team Academic All-America |
| Men’s At-Large (Swimming and Diving) | Jack Hoagland | SMU | Earned All-America status in four events at 2024 NCAA Championship |
| Women’s At-Large (Fencing) | Diana Tiburcio | Temple | Career record of 102-60 in sabre; helped team to four straight conference titles |
The American Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards are among of a number of scholarships presented by the conference during the academic year. One male and one female from each of the conference’s member institutions may be named as the winners of the conference’s Institutional Scholar-Athlete Scholarships.
The conference has presented individual sport Scholar-Athletes of the Year in baseball, men’s basketball and women’s basketball since the 2013-14 season. The conference has presented individual awards in all other sports beginning with the 2017-18 season.
Male Scholar-Athletes of the Year
2013-14 Vaughn Spurrier, Soccer, Temple
2014-15 Brian Barney, Track and Field, Cincinnati
2015-16 Blair Hamilton, Golf, Houston
2016-17 Adrian Valles, Track and Field, Cincinnati
2017-18 Adrian Valles, Track and Field, Cincinnati
2018-19 Jake Agnos, Baseball, East Carolina
2019-20 Alec Burleson, Baseball, East Carolina
2020-21 Patrick Dever, Cross Country, Tulsa
2021-22 Griffin Merritt, Baseball, Cincinnati
2022-23 Brock Rodden, Baseball, Wichita State
2023-24 Jackson Caldwell, Cross Country, Wichita State
Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year
2013-14 Nicole Scott, Swimming & Diving, Rutgers
2014-15 Kadi Kullerkann, Volleyball, Houston
2015-16 Avery Acker, Volleyball, SMU
2016-17 Micaela Bouter, Swimming and Diving, Houston
2017-18 Mikaela Raudsepp, Volleyball, Wichita State
2018-19 Leonie Harm, Golf, Houston
2019-20 Caitlin Klopfer, Cross Country, Tulsa
2020-21 Georgina Corrick, Softball, South Florida
2021-22 McKenna Melville, Volleyball, UCF
2022-23 Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, Basketball, South Florida
2023-24 Riley Felts, Track and Field, Charlotte
Football Scholar-Athletes of the Year
2013-14 Ryan Alderman, WR, Temple
2014-15 Charles Harris, LB, Memphis
2015-16 Ryan Leahy, OG, Cincinnati
E.K. Binns, OG, Navy
2016-17 Jake Elliott, K, Memphis
2017-18 Auggie Sanchez, LB, South Florida
2018-19 Matt Hennessy, C, Temple
2019-20 Matt Hennessy, C, Temple
2020-21 Shane Buechele, QB, SMU
2021-22 Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
2022-23 Jason Johnson, LB, UCF
2023-24 Lucas Dean, P, UTSA
Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2013-14 Jimmy McDonnell, Temple
2014-15 Pat Lenehan, UConn
2015-16 Shaquille Harrison, Tulsa
2016-17 Semi Ojeyele, SMU
2017-18 Obi Enechionyia, Temple
2018-19 Tacko Fall, UCF
2019-20 Martins Igbanu, Tulsa
2020-21 Chris Vogt, Cincinnati
2021-22 Ludgy Debaut, East Carolina
2022-23 Sam Hines Jr., South Florida
2023-24 Max Fiedler, Rice
Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2013-14 Antonita Slaughter, Louisville
2014-15 Jamie Kaplan, Tulane
2015-16 Courtney Williams, South Florida
2016-17 Leslie Vorpahl, Tulane
2017-18 Ktija Laksa, South Florida
2018-19 Katie Lou Samuelson, UConn
2019-20 Antoinette Miller, Cincinnati
2020-21 Rebecca Lescay, Tulsa
2021-22 Elena Tsineke, South Florida
2022-23 Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, South Florida
2023-24 Dazia Lawrence, Charlotte
Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Connor McVey, Cincinnati
2018-19 Jake Agnos, East Carolina
2019-20 Alec Burleson, East Carolina
2020-21 Alec Trela, Memphis
2021-22 Griffin Merritt, Cincinnati
2022-23 Brock Rodden, Wichita State
2023-24 Carter Cunningham, East Carolina
Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Adam Rodrique, Tulsa
2018-19 Emmanuel Rotich, Tulane
2019-20 Kevin Lapsansky, Temple
2020-21 Patrick Dever, Tulsa
2021-22 Scott Beattie, Tulsa
2022-23 Isaac Akers, Tulsa
2023-24 Jackson Caldwell, Wichita State
Women’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Lauren Bartels, Tulane
2018-19 Alyssa Bolliger, Tulsa
2019-20 Caitlin Klopfer, Tulsa
2020-21 Caitlin Klopfer, Tulsa
2021-22 Caroline Miller, Tulsa
2022-23 Kat Pesendorfer, Tulsa
2023-24 Lauren Johnston, Charlotte
Men’s Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Davis Baxter, Cincinnati
2018-19 Austin Squires, Cincinnati
2019-20 Patrick Stephenson, East Carolina
2020-21 Albin Bergstrom, South Florida
2021-22 Luke Gifford, South Florida
2022-23 Samuel Jean, Cincinnati
2023-24 Jake Peacock, South Florida
Women’s Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Megan Thothong, Houston
2018-19 Leonie Harm, Houston
2019-20 Dorthea Forbrigd, East Carolina
2020-21 Dorthea Forbrigd, East Carolina
2021-22 Kathryn Carson, East Carolina
2022-23 Lilly Thomas, Tulsa
2023-24 Melanie Green, South Florida
Women’s Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2018-19 Maddie Gebert, Temple
2019-20 Megan Pallozzi, East Carolina
2020-21 Courtney Taylor, Temple
2021-22 Kylie Nause, Cincinnati
2022-23 Belle Mastropietro, Temple
2023-24 Belle Mastropietro, Temple
Women’s Rowing Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Hannah Vissers, Tulsa
2018-19 Emily Fogg, SMU
2019-20 Mia Cleary, UCF
2020-21 Julie Poulsen, UCF
2021-22 Hallie Wilson, SMU
2022-23 Karen Undset, Tulsa
2023-24 Isabella Musollino, Tulsa
Men’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Matias Pyysalo, UCF
2018-19 David Zalzman, Memphis
2019-20 Cal Jennings, UCF
2020-21 Yannik Oettl, UCF
2021-22 Maxi Galizzi, Memphis
2022-23 Knut Ahlander, SMU
2023-24 Philip Spenger, South Florida
Women’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Vanessa Giles, Cincinnati
2018-19 Lizzie Woerner, Memphis
2019-20 Stasia Mallin, Memphis
2020-21 Elizabeth Moberg, Memphis
2021-22 Elizabeth Moberg, Memphis
2022-23 Mya Jones, Memphis
2023-24 Mya Jones, Memphis
Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Emily Watson, Tulsa
2018-19 Savannah Heebner, Houston
2019-20 Alea White, UCF
2020-21 Georgina Corrick, South Florida
2021-22 Gracie Morton, Memphis
2022-23 Shannon Doherty, UCF
2023-24 Addison Barnard, Wichita State
Women’s Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Micaela Bouter, Houston
2018-19 Peyton Kondis, Houston
2019-20 Zarena Brown, Houston
2020-21 Kate McDonald, Tulane
2021-22 Iza Pelka, Tulane
2022-23 Nicole Stambo, SMU
2023-24 Imogen Meers, Rice
Men’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Constantin Schmitz, Tulane
2018-19 Majed Kilani, Tulsa
2019-20 Paolo Cucalon, Temple
2020-21 Gabriel Decamps, UCF
2021-22 Kody Pearson, Tulsa
2022-23 Thibault Frumholtz, Temple
2023-24 Alvin Tudorica, South Florida
Women’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Monica Matias, UCF
2018-19 Martha Matoula, Tulsa
2019-20 Martina Okalova, Tulsa
2020-21 Ksenia Kuznetsova, UCF
2021-22 Marie Mattel, UCF
2022-23 Marie Mattel, UCF
2023-24 Taylor Johnson, SMU
Men’s Indoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Adrian Valles, Cincinnati
2018-19 Olushola Olojo, Memphis
2019-20 Damien Berthenet, Cincinnati
2020-21 Henry Visser, Tulsa
2021-22 Michael Bryan, Wichita State
2022-23 Starrett Vesper, East Carolina
2023-24 Shaun Kerry, Rice
Women’s Indoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Rosie Chamberlain, UCF
2018-19 Loretta Blaut, Cincinnati
2019-20 Millie Howard, Temple
2020-21 Alanna Lally, Temple
2021-22 Kat Pesendorfer, Tulsa
2022-23 Rayniah Jones, UCF
2023-24 Riley Felts, Charlotte
Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Michael Criticos, Memphis
2018-19 Mario Burke, Houston
2019-20 Reed Sahadevan, Tulsa
2020-21 Aaron Bienenfeld, Cincinnati
2021-22 Henry Visser, Tulsa
2022-23 Cormac Dalton, Tulsa
2023-24 Sam Welsh, Rice
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Loretta Blaut, Cincinnati
2018-19 Ashley Pryke, Memphis
2019-20 Hannah Miller, SMU
2020-21 Claudia Rojo, Wichita State
2021-22 Jane Sensibaugh, Cincinnati
2022-23 Latasha Smith, UCF
2023-24 Chloe Hershenow, Tulsa
Women’s Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Mikaela Raudsepp, Wichita State
2018-19 Emily Thorson, Tulsa
2019-20 Jordan Thompson, Cincinnati
2020-21 Lexie Douglas, Tulane
2021-22 McKenna Melville, UCF
2022-23 McKenna Melville, UCF
2023-24 Kaley Cassaday, Tulsa
At-Large Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2017-18 Eli Rischling, Memphis (Rifle)
Charlotte Veitner, UConn (Field Hockey)
Lauren Hudson, Cincinnati (Lacrosse)
2018-19 Nora Gray, SMU (Equestrian)
2019-20 Levi Clark, Memphis (Rifle)
Malia Hee, Temple (Fencing)
2020-21 Lasse Grimmer, Temple (Crew)
Marina Barzaghi, South Florida (Sailing)
2021-22 Crystal Singh, Tulane (Bowling)
2022-23 Christopher Stoll, Tulane (Sailing)
Margherita Calderaro, Temple (Fencing)
2023-24 Jack Hoagland, SMU (Swimming and Diving)
Diana Tiburcio, Temple (Fencing)
