SUWANEE, Ga. -- In voting done among members of the respective peer councils, University of St. Thomas was honored as Athletic Training Staff of the Year and Texas Lutheran University was voted Sports Information Staff of the Year.
The Sports Information Staff of the Year award began prior to the 2016-17 season, while the Athletic Training Staff of the Year award was introduced ahead of the 2012-2013 season.
The St. Thomas athletic training department is made up of six staff members: Leslie Bennett, Director of Sports Medicine, JeJuan French, Associate Athletic Trainer, Laurisa Rieke, Associate Athletic Trainer, Physicians Staff, Dr. Rod Turner and Dr. Raj Shani, and Sports Dietitian Kim Lowry, RD CSSD.
The group covered athletic training duties for all 17 NCAA men’s and women’s varsity sports. The staff played a key role in St. Thomas capturing the athletic department’s first ever SCAC Presidents’ Trophy Crown. Despite winning just one conference championship this academic year (men's basketball), St. Thomas produced consistently throughout the 2025-26 campaign, earning runner-up finishes in men's cross country, men's swimming and diving and women's golf and third-place finishes in both volleyball and women's tennis. In addition to covering the SCAC Cross Country Championship, the UST AT staff also covered the opening three rounds of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The St. Thomas Sports Medicine Department is committed to providing the highest level of athletic training and sports medicine care possible to our student-athletes, coaches, athletic support staff, and administration. This includes but is not limited to; injury prevention, evaluation, assessment, education, management and rehab: as well as administration. By adhering to the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Code of Ethics and the Board of Certification (BOC) Standards of Practice, our goals are to keep all student-athletes healthy and return injured athletes to competition as quickly and safely as possible.
"Athletic trainers play an indispensable role in collegiate athletics, serving as healthcare professionals, educators, and advocates for student-athlete well-being," said SCAC Commissioner Dwayne Hanberry. "The leadership of Bennett and the outstanding work of the athletic training staff at the University of St. Thomas have helped create an environment where student-athletes can thrive both in competition and throughout their overall collegiate experience."
This marks the second time in UST history to earn SCAC AT Staff of the Year honors, becoming the sixth AT staff in SCAC history to win the honor multiple times. Previously UST was also honored following the 2021-2022 season.
The Texas Lutheran University sports information department functions through the efforts of one outstanding individual: Bryce Hayes, Director of Sports Information and Sports Marketing. This is the fourth time in department history and second time in the last four year under the leadership of Hayes, TLU has earned the honor. The Bulldogs’ staff also won the award in 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2022-23. TLU joins Trinity as the only other SID department to secure this honor four times in SCAC history.
Texas Lutheran’s sports information department handled media coverage for all 19 varsity programs, including covering the men’s soccer team’s historic run to the NCAA Tournament for just the third time in program history after winning the SCAC Tournament last fall. Hayes led the Office of Sports information and Sports Marketing as it handled game-day management, statistics, public address announcing, video streaming and production and other duties for over 100 home games and events throughout the year. Hayes’ commitment to producing and distributing original content that highlights Bulldog student-athletes has played a key role in expanding the department’s digital presence. The Bulldogs’ primary X (Twitter) and Instagram accounts now reach a combined audience of more than 12,750 followers, representing growth of over 3,380 followers since the program last claimed this honor in 2022-23.
In addition, Hayes covered both the NCAA Softball Regional and Super Regional Rounds during the 2026 Tournament and moved the entire TLU+ network onto the FloSports network this academic year.
"Sports Information Directors are responsible for preserving and promoting the stories that define an athletics program," said Hanberry. "The work being done at Texas Lutheran exemplifies the impact a dedicated communications professional can have in elevating student-athlete achievements, strengthening institutional visibility, and creating meaningful connections with alumni, fans, and supporters."
"Congratulations to Leslie and Bryce on this well-deserved recognition from their peers," said Hanberry. "Both have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to supporting their student-athletes and institutions, and these honors reflect not only their leadership but also the outstanding work being done by their respective staffs at St. Thomas and Texas Lutheran."
UST, Texas Lutheran Claim Athletic Training and Sports Information Staff Awards
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