MOMENT #5: PAIR OF LIONS NAMED LSC ACADEMIC PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

The 2011-12 A&M-Commerce athletic season was filled with a number of impressive performance and memorable highlights achieved by the Lion student-athletes. To close out the athletic season, LionAthletics.com is looking back at the top-15 moments of the year, voted on by athletic administrators, media members and Lion fans. The moments will be revealed on Mondays and Thursdays, leading into the start of the 2012-13 A&M-Commerce athletic season.

2011-12 LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll Selections

COMMERCE, Texas – We enter the final stretch of the 2011-12 Top-15 Countdown, highlighting the top five moments of the year at A&M-Commerce. The fifth-ranked moment celebrates Lion successes in the classroom, not just on the playing fields as football’s Taylor Fore and men’s basketball’s Andrew Davis were named Lone Star Conference Academic Players of the Year for their respective sports.

The accolade was one of many for Fore in his senior campaign as the Fort Worth native left his mark in a number of ways on the A&M-Commerce history books. On the field, Fore led the Lions in both receptions (58) and yards (561), tying the program’s single-season reception record. He ranked third in the conference in catches per game (5.8) and 10th in yards per game (56.1), en route to being named an honorable mention All-Conference.

For his career, Fore sits fourth all-time in career receptions in Lion program history with 125, racking up 1,549 yards and six touchdowns. He was also named to the Capital One Academic All-District first team earned LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll recognition for the second time. Fore earned a pair of A&M-Commerce All-Sports Banquet awards as well, being recognized as the Top Male Senior GPA winner and the Dr. Jesse Hawthorne Male Athlete of the Year co-award recipient.

Davis had a breakout year in 2011-12 for A&M-Commerce as the junior from Richardson played in all 27 games with 26 starts, amassing personal-bests in nearly every category. He averaged 5.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 21 minutes per game, ranking 18th in the LSC in rebounds per game and 11th in defensive rebounds per game (3.5).

Davis continued to excel off the court as well as for the second-straight year, he not only was named to the LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll but received special recognition for boasting a perfect 4.00 GPA. Davis was named a first team Capital One Academic All-District selection and took home the A&M-Commerce Terry Allen Award, given annually to a men’s basketball player exhibiting strong leadership skills and serving as a role model to his teammates and classmates.

The academic successes of the 2011-12 season were not limited solely to Fore and Davis as eight Lions were named to their respective sport’s Lone Star Conference All-Academic Teams. In addition, 10 Lions were recognized as Capital One Academic All-District selections with six being named first team honorees.

2011-12 A&M-Commerce Academic All-Lone Star Conference Selections
Andrew Davis  - Men’s Basketball
Sara Diaz – Women’s Golf
Taylor Fore – Football
Randi Hafele – Women’s Soccer
Alex Kimp – Men’s Cross Country
Desmond King – Men’s Basketball
Brionna Minde – Women’s Soccer
Rachel Robertson – Volleyball

A&M-Commerce Top-15 Moments Countdown Schedule

Moment #1 - Thursday, August 2
Moment #2 - Monday, July 30
Moment #3 - Thursday, July 26
Moment #4 - Monday, July 23
Moment #5 - Pair of Lions Named Lone Star Conference Academic Players of the Year
Moment #6 - Marcus Graham Bursts into Lion Record Books on Senior Night
Moment #7 - Facing Match Point, Volleyball Rallies to Take Down Incarnate Word 3-2
Moment #8 - Chantry McMahan Finishes Second at LSC Golf Championships
Moment #9 - Men's Cross Country Ties Best Finish in Program History at LSC Championships
Moment #10 - Track and Field Notches A Pair of LSC Individual Champions
Moment #11 - Men's Basketball Wins Final Three Games to Qualify for LSC Tournament
Moment #12 - Football Takes to the Turf at Cowboys Stadium
Moment #13 - Pair of Men's Golfers Capture Individual Tournament Titles
Moment #14 - Women's Track and Field Sets Three School Records
Moment #15 - Women's Basketball Upsets Angelo State 64-61 in Season Finale