RICHARDSON Texas. — On Friday, graduate student D.J. Delancy was named Indoor Track and Field Academic Athlete of the Year by the Lone Star Conference, while the organization announced 17 All-LSC competitors from the Texas A&M-Kingsville track and field program.

The all-conference first team consists of event winners, including all members of the winning relay teams and athletes scoring 14 or more points at the LSC Championships. The all-conference second team consists of all members of the second-place relay teams and athletes scoring 8-13.9 points. The all-conference third team consists of all members of the third-place relay teams and athletes scoring 6-7.9 points.

This marks back-to-back seasons in which Delancy has claimed the indoor honor, as he was also named the 2022-23 Fred Jacoby Jones Academic Athlete of the Year for his 4.0 GPA in biomedical sciences. Delancy was also named All-LSC third team after collecting a third-place finish at the league meet with a 16.44m (53-11.25).

Sophomore Blake Gordon joins Delancy on the all-academic squad, as he posted a 3.60 GPA in management while picking up a third-team nod and collecting bronze thanks to a 4.96m (16-3.25) clearance in Lubbock. 

Four made the All-LSC first team, with sophomore Ja'Qualon Scott and classmate Thomas Nieto each delivering gold medal performances. Scott logged 21 points across a trio of events for the third-most in the LSC. He was champion of the 60m hurdles with a time of 7.88, collected third in the 400m dash at 47.52, and placed fourth in the 200m run at 21.39. Nieto, meanwhile, won the pole vault at 5.43m (17-9.75) in his first LSC Championship appearance. 

Graduate student Dean Wallace and freshman Fakhreddine Benhadja join the pair on the first team, as Wallace scored 5,440 in the heptathlon for second place and leapt to 6.96m (22-10) in the long jump for third. Additionally, he placed fifth in the pole vault, bringing his overall point total to 18.

Benhadja logged 17 across a trio of events, including a third-place finish in the triple jump at 13.92m (45-8) and in the high jump with a 2.00m (66-6.75) clearance while taking fourth in the long jump with a distance of 6.85m (22-5.75). 

Senior Marco Arevalo and junior Katryna Hernandez each appeared on the second team, as Arevalo snagged silver in the shot put with a 16.80m (55-1.50) toss, and Hernandez placed second in the women's iteration at 13.27m (43-6.50). 

Both 4x400m relay teams cracked the third team, as freshman Tony Benitez joined Scott, junior Bryson Dyer, and junior Michael Samihamba to clock in at 3:16.22 for bronze.

For the women, sophomore Cynai Christopher, sophomore Vitiana Robert, junior Sophia Ramirez, and freshman Melanie Roland also snagged third with a time of 3:49.43.

Rounding out the third team, juniors Paxton Hair and Mackenzie Contreras made the cut, with Hair placing fifth in the shot put and seventh in the weight throw, as Contreras claimed third in the shot put. /