Five Owls Named American Conference Scholar Athletes of the Year

HOUSTON – Rice Athletics had a conference-leading five student-athletes be named an American Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year for their respective sports, while Mckyla Van der Westhuizen was named the American Conference Female Scholar Athlete of the Year, the conference announced Thursday morning.

Earning honors were Amelie Attenborough (women's cross country), Ty Hampton (men's outdoor track and field), Petro Kuzmenok (men's tennis), Josie Taylor (women's indoor track and field) and Mckyla Van der Westhuizen (women's outdoor track and field).

Attenborough repeats as the American Scholar Athlete of the Year for women's cross country (2025 and 2026), finishing her career as a four-time All-Conference honoree. Attenborough was 24^th in the American Cross Country Championships during the 2024 season and was a 2025 DMR champion for the conference. Attenborough closed her career with a degree in Sport Medicine and Exercise Physiology with a 3.796 GPA.

Hampton earned Honorable Mention All-American honors this season after advancing to the NCAA Championships. The two-time American Conference javelin champion (2024 and 2026), Hampton is second all-time in school history for the javelin. Hampton graduated with a Master of Energy Economics degree with a 3.834 GPA.

Kuzmenok, the 2026 American Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Year, compiled a 20-9 overall singles record and 25-5 doubles record. He and doubles partner Santiago Navarro captured the American Conference Doubles Championship during the fall 2025 season. In addition to his success on the court, Kuzmenok earned ITA Scholar-Athlete honors, was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team, received the ITA Texas Region Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award and earned American Conference All-Conference honors in both singles and doubles.

Taylor was third in the high jump at the American Indoor Championships, while also finishing sixth at the outdoor championships. She holds the school record in the indoor high jump and ranks second in the outdoor high jump. Taylor finished with a 3.92 GPA and earned her master's degree in Earth, Environment and Planetary Science this season. She is a four-time USTFCCCA All-Academic and a two-time American Conference All-Academic.

Van der Westhuizen became the first national champion in 24 years for Rice women's track and field, following a school record throw of 60.87m to jump into first place on the final round of throws. She finished her career with a third consecutive First Team All-American honor and fourth honor overall. Van der Westhuizen won her third consecutive American javelin title, helping guide Rice to its first American championship. This year, Van der Westhuizen earned her second CSC Academic All-America honor, earning a spot on the First Team. She is also a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic and is now a two-time American Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results