The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Three Blazers Named 2013 C-USA Scholar Athletes
7/11/2013 12:00:00 AM | General
July 11, 2013
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- Three UAB student-athletes -- women's basketball player Amber Jones, volleyball star Sam Serley and women's track and field athlete Rhiannon Johns -- have been named 2013 Conference USA Scholar Athletes in their respective sports, the league office announced on Thursday.
The C-USA Scholar Athlete of the Year awards are presented to the top student-athletes in each conference-sponsored sport. The award is based on academic achievement (GPA), athletic success and service.
UAB's three honorees represent a tie for the second-most in the league with Memphis' four award winners representing the most in the conference.
Jones, who was the only C-USA women's basketball player to be named to the Capital One All-Academic District 4 Team, was the Blazers' second-leading scorer with 12.9 points per game in 2012-13. The Town Creek, Ala., native finished her career 10th on UAB's all-time scoring list with 1,505 career points and was named second-team All-C-USA in her junior and senior seasons.
Former volleyball player Serley, who wrapped up her Blazer career in 2012, etched her named in the UAB record books. Serley captured numerous accolades in her four seasons in Birmingham, becoming the first UAB player to earn American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America honorable mention recognition and All-Midwest Region accolades three times. The two-time All-Conference USA First Team selection set the school record for career (564) and single-season (185) block totals and finished second in hitting percentage with a .340 average.
Johns, who was recently named to the Capital One Academic All-America Division I Women's Track and Field/Cross Country First Team, wrapped up her career as arguably one of the greatest Blazer student-athletes of all time. Currently a graduate student in mathematics, she holds the UAB school record in the 10,000 meters and was a two-time C-USA champion in the event. Johns placed on the Conference USA All-Academic Team on three occasions and was a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic selection.
2012-13 SCHOLAR ATHLETE AWARD WINNERS
Baseball: Sam Moll, Memphis
Men's Basketball: Austin Ramljak, Rice
Women's Basketball: Amber Jones, UAB
Men's Cross Country: Gabriel Cuadra, Rice
Women's Cross Country: Stephanie Ledgerwood, Southern Miss; Risper Kimaiyo, UTEP
Football: Jared St. John, Tulsa
Men's Golf: Grant Milner, Memphis
Women's Golf: Fanny Wolte, East Carolina
Women's Rowing: Nicole Furmanek, Oklahoma
Men's Soccer: Mark Sherrod, Memphis
Women's Soccer: Claire Hulcer, Tulsa
Softball: Jillian Jelnick
Women's Swimming and Diving: Kylee Talwar, Rice
Men's Tennis: Cliff Marsland, Tulsa
Women's Tennis: Courtney Collins, Memphis
Men's Track and Field: Richard Collingwood, Southern Miss
Women's Track and Field: Rhiannon Johns, UAB
Volleyball: Sam Serley, UAB
