Thirty-Five UTEP Student-Athletes to Graduate on Saturday

Thirty-five past and present UTEP student-athletes will receive their diplomas at spring commencement on Saturday (May 13) in the Don Haskins Center.

The list includes 13 representatives from the football program, five from soccer, three from women’s basketball, three from men’s track and field, two from men’s basketball, two from rifle, two from softball, two from volleyball, and one each from men’s golf, women’s golf and women’s track and field.

Of the 35 graduates, 25 have earned placement on the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll (minimum 3.0 grade point average) during their careers, and seven have been recipients of C-USA Academic Medals (minimum 3.75 GPA).

Bios follow on each of UTEP’s 2017 spring graduating student-athletes.

Spring 2017 UTEP Graduating Student-Athletes

Brittney Adams (Women’s Track & Field)

Has been a part of two C-USA Indoor Championship teams … member of the distance medley unit that won back-to-back conference titles … Multidisciplinary Studies major.

Dominic Artis (Men’s Basketball)

Second Team All-Conference USA in 2017 … first player in school history to lead the team in rebounding, assists and steals … one of only four players in Conference USA history to tally 400 points, 150 rebounds, 150 assists and 50 steals in a season … ranks fifth in school history in assists including 187 in 2016-17, third-most in the UTEP record book … member of the 2016 C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Multidisciplinary Studies major.

Alexa Bain (Soccer)

Four-year starter on defense who helped UTEP post a record of 48-25-11 … started 64 of 76 games played, earning more than 5,000 minutes on the pitch … efforts aided the Miners in notching 33 shutouts for her career, including a single-season school-record tying 11 in 2016 … four-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Marketing major.

Bri Barreiro (Soccer)

Recorded 10 goals and 10 assists for 30 points while playing more than 5,000 minutes in her career … started 69 of 76 games played, including all 22 as a senior … helped UTEP post a combined record of 48-25-11 during her four years … two-time C-USA Women’s Soccer All-Academic Team member … four-time recipient of a Conference USA Academic Medal and four-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … management major.

Tyler Batson (Football)

Three-year letterwinner … saw action in 36 games as a wide receiver … led the team in yards per reception (22.8) in 2016 … during junior season, caught 21 passes for 365 yards with three touchdowns and a team-leading 18.8 yards per catch … posted a career-best 143 yards and a pair of scores, including a career-long 76-yard touchdown, during a win over Florida Atlantic in 2015 … Multidisciplinary Studies major.

Cosmas Boit (Men’s Track & Field)

Four-time All-Conference USA and 2016 All-Region honoree … member of the 2014 C-USA Indoor Championship team … two-time C-USA Cross Country Championship team member … Member of the 2016 Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Criminal Justice major.

Cedric Click (Football)

Played in 48 games for the Miners … tallied a total of 30 tackles, five pass breakups and one fumble recovery … as a sophomore posted 92 yards on five kickoff returns and a career-long return of 30 yards versus San Diego State … Multidisciplinary Studies major.

Aleah Davis (Soccer)

Garnered All-League and All-Region accolades in all four years, making her the first Miner to achieve the feat … started every game (82) of her career … ranked tied for third at UTEP for game-winning goals (10) and tied for eighth in assists (17) … compiled more than 100 community service hours in her career … voted to the 2016 NSCAA Senior women’s College Scholar All-America team and the C-USA Women’s Soccer All-Academic team … recipient of the 2017 “Golden Miner Award” … four-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … kinesiology major.

Frederik Dreier (Men’s Golf)

Two-time Conference USA Golfer of the Year (2015-16, 2016-17), only the third player in C-USA history to garner the award in back-to-back years … has played in 46 tournaments for the Miners, compiling a 72.3 scoring average … led the Miners to their first conference title in 32 years this season … four-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Marketing major.

Derek Elmendorff (Football)

All-Conference USA Freshman Team member in 2014 … has played in 33 games, making 29 starts at right guard … part of an offensive line that led Conference USA in fewest sacks allowed in back-to-back seasons … efforts helped the Miners average 185.5 rushing yards per game and score 20 rushing touchdowns last season … has one year of eligibility remaining in 2017 … Criminal Justice major.

Jake Flaggert (Men’s Basketball)

Has played in 93 games for the Miners, making 31 starts last season … led Conference USA in charges drawn for the second straight year in 2016-17 and has 57 in his career … has one year of eligibility remaining in 2017-18 … two-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Marketing major.

Taylor Grohmann (Softball)

Won nine games during her career on the mound for UTEP, including a victory on Senior Day May 7 … registered her first career hit on Senior Day and scored a run … posted a 5-3 record in 2016, helping lead the Miners to the Conference USA Tournament … Kinesiology major.

Amber Herrera (Women’s Golf)

Played in 29 tournaments for the Miners … top finish was a tie for fourth place at the New Mexico dual match in February of 2015 … former president of UTEP’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee … two-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Interdisciplinary Studies/Education major.

Carnell Horn (Men’s Track & Field)

Member of the 2013 C-USA Outdoor Championship team … member of the 4x400m relay that qualified to the 2014 and 2015 NCAA West Regional Preliminary … recipient of a Conference USA Academic Medal in 2013 and three-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Biological Sciences major.

Alvin Jones (Football)

Second team All-Conference USA in 2017 … has 241 tackles with a year of eligibility remaining in 2017 … led the team in tackles in back-to-back seasons, notching 93 in both 2015 and 2016 … has 10.5 career sacks and 29.5 career tackles for losses … registered career-high 16 tackles in a pair of games … Communication major.

Lawna Kennedy (Women’s Basketball)

Junior college transfer who helped UTEP win the 2016 C-USA regular-season championship and make a run to the quarterfinals of the WNIT … played in 60 career games, including 36 starts, while earning 14.8 minutes/game … scored more than 250 points and grabbed better than 175 rebounds … health promotion major.

Jessica Kinder (Rifle)

Four-year team member who had career averages of 555 in smallbore and 582 in air rifle … recorded the second-best air rifle average (586) on the team in 2016-17 … fired a 592 in air rifle to tie for the ninth-best in program history at the 2017 Patriot Rifle League Championships … recipient of a Conference USA Academic Medal in 2015 and four-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … kinesiology major.

Anthony Kyles (Football)

Played in 20 games, making five starts at right guard … part of offensive line that led Conference USA in fewest sacks allowed for back-to-back seasons … efforts helped the Miners average 185.5 rushing yards per game and score 20 rushing touchdowns last season … Member of the 2015 Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Multidisciplinary Studies major.

Lindsey Larson (Volleyball)

Has played in 118 matches and 434 sets for the Miners … led the team in assists (642) and service aces (24) as a senior while finishing her career with 2,677 assists, 71 service aces and 317 blocks … named second team All-Conference USA in 2016 … four-time recipient of a Conference USA Academic Medal and five-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Civil Engineering major.

Mack Leftwich (Football)

Was the starting quarterback in 11 games for the Miners … as a sophomore, led UTEP in passing yards (1,228), touchdown passes (nine), completions (105), attempts (192) and passing efficiency (120.8) … threw for 231 yards with a pair of scores during a victory over Rice in 2015 … four-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Multidisciplinary Studies major.

Nicole Lindsay (Soccer)

Played in 81 games, including 55 starts, while securing more than 4,700 minutes of playing time … helped the Miners forge a record of 48-25-11 during her four years … played all over the pitch, contributing two goals and seven assists for 13 points ... two-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … marketing major.

Sky Logan (Football)

Has played in 22 games, making 12 starts at the defensive end position … registered a total of 63 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, four pass breakups and one forced fumble … has one year of eligibility remaining this fall … two-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Multidisciplinary Studies major.

Jay Mattox (Football)

Four-year starter that played in all 49 games for the Miners … finished his collegiate career tied for first in program history with 137 PATs … also rates no. 2 among kickers with 257 points, and no. 3 with 40 field goals made … concluded his senior campaign ranked second on the team in points (54) and finished 39-of-40 on PATs … member of the 2014 Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Communication major.

Lulu McKinney (Women’s Basketball)

Graduating in just three years and has one season of eligibility remaining … helped UTEP win the 2016 C-USA regular-season championship and advance to the WNIT quarterfinals … has played in 92 games with 45 starts … already ranks sixth all-time at UTEP for three-pointers made (107)… two-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Communication major.

Sterling Napier (Football)

Has played in 36 games for the Miners … was utilized in multiple blocking schemes last season, helping the team average 185.5 rushing yards with 20 rushing touchdowns … hauled in his first career touchdown last year versus Florida Atlantic … coming back for his senior season in 2017 … member of the 2015 Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Criminal Justice major.

Hannah Nicholson (Soccer)

Two-year letterwinner for the Miners before her career was derailed by injuries … in 2014 contributed one goal and five assists for seven points … four-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Mechanical Engineering major.

Danielle Pearson (Softball)

Ranks second on UTEP’s all-time wins list … hurled over 490 innings and recorded over 200 strikeouts for the Orange and Blue … also collected over 80 hits during her career, while showing power at the plate with three home runs and 45 RBI … Member of the 2016 Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Organizational & Corporate Communication major.

Erik Ramirez (Football)

Saw the field in the Miners’ 52-24 victory over North Texas last season … also played in two games as a freshman … has one year of eligibility remaining in 2017 … recipient of a Conference USA Academic Medal in 2014 and four-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Chemistry major.

Kevin Rincon (Men’s Track & Field)

Has ranked among the top-10 in the javelin at the C-USA meets … helped the Miners to a second-place finish at the 2015 C-USA Outdoor Championships …. five-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Kinesiology major.

Brendan Royal (Football)

Played one season for the Miners, seeing action in all 12 games in 2016 … recorded 33 tackles, 1.5 tackles for losses, an interception and three pass breakups … opened the campaign with three pass breakups, tied for third-most in a game in program history, during a victory over rival NM State … recipient of a Conference USA Academic Medal in 2016 and two-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Multidisciplinary Studies major.

Monthserrat Serna (Rifle)

Four-year competitor who had a career average of 531 in smallbore and 556 in air rifle … set a career-high in air rifle (569) at the 2016 NCAA Qualifier …three-time recipient of a Conference USA Academic Medal and four-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Biological Sciences major.

Sparkle Taylor (Women’s Basketball)

Prolific scorer who finished second all-time at UTEP in field goals made (530) and third in points (1,352) … also tied for sixth in free throws made (272) … 2017 All-Conference USA second team honoree and 2016 C-USA Sixth Player of the Year … helped UTEP win the 2016 C-USA regular-season championship … member of the 2017 Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Criminal Justice major.

Nick Usher (Football)

A three-year starter who saw the field in 49 games … last season he started all 12 contests and led the team in tackles for losses (8.0), sacks (5.5) and quarterback hurries (five) … rated third on the team with 77 tackles and added two pass breakups and a blocked kick … finished career tied for no. 10 in school history with 12 sacks … Multidisciplinary Studies major.

Adrian Ward (Football)

Played two seasons for the Miners, starting in 22 games after transferring from Chabot College … earned 2004 All-WAC first team honors after tallying 59 tackles, 12 pass break-ups and five interceptions … led the Miners to eight wins and the Houston Bowl … registered a total of 98 tackles, 18 deflections and eight picks at UTEP … was chosen in the seventh round of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings … Multidisciplinary Studies major.

Naomi Whitehair (Volleyball)

Played in 260 sets over 87 matches in three years as a Miner … tallied 415 digs in her career … notched a career-high 16 digs against South Alabama as a senior … Health Promotion major.