40 UTEP student-athletes set to graduate on Saturday
Forty past and present UTEP student-athletes will graduate from the university on Saturday. The list includes 13 representatives from the football program, five from track and field, four from men’s golf, softball and tennis, three from volleyball, two from women’s golf and soccer, and one from men’s basketball, women’s basketball and rifle.
The list of graduates includes 2016 Conference USA Softball Player of the Year Courtney Clayton, as well as the Miners’ all-time leading rusher and current Green Bay Packer Aaron Jones.
Of the 40 graduates, 28 have earned placement on the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll (minimum 3.0 grade point average) during their careers, and nine have received C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medals (minimum 3.75 GPA). Clayton, soccer’s Jeanna Mullen and tennis’ Lois Wagenvoort are four-time C-USA Academic Medal recipients.
Bios follow on UTEP’s spring graduates.
UTEP Spring 2018 Graduating Student-Athletes
Chad Ahn (Men’s Golf)
Richardson, Texas
Competed in 12 tournaments as a Miner … his tie for 35th at the 2017 Price’s “Give ‘Em Five” Invitational was a career best … was the only Miner to post two eagles at the Price’s tournament … Marketing major.
Raven Bennett (Tennis)
Mesquite, Texas
Played in 63 singles and 67 doubles matches in three years, notching 33 singles wins … named the 2017 team MVP … recorded back-to-back seasons with 15 singles wins in 2016 and 2017 … President of UTEP’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2016, 2017, 2018) … C-USA Academic Medal (2016) … Biological Sciences major.
Yanique Bennett (Track & Field)
Innisfil, Ontario, Canada
Was a part of the women’s track & field team that won three consecutive C-USA indoor titles, and also a member of the Miners’ first conference outdoor championship team … finished her career with two conference titles in the 400m hurdles … ranks No. 2 in school history in the 400m hurdles with a career-best 58.27 seconds … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2016) … Kinesiology major.
Jerrod Brooks (Football)
Dallas, Texas
Will be a senior on the 2018 squad … played in 28 games, making eight starts at right tackle … was used in multiple run-blocking schemes as a sophomore … his efforts helped Aaron Jones gain a program-record 1,773 rushing yards in 2016 … Criminal Justice major.
Sofia Castiello (Women’s Golf)
Guadalajara, Mexico
Played in 29 tournaments for the Miners over three seasons … ranked second on the team in scoring average as a sophomore and junior … picked up a pair of top-10 finishes … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2015, 2016, 2017) … C-USA Academic Medal (2015) … Communication Studies major.
Daniel Cheruiyot (Track & Field)
Eldoret, Kenya
Scored 15 points, helping the Miners to a second place finish at the 2015 Conference USA Outdoor Championship … earned a career-best fourth-place finish in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Texas Relays with a personal-best time of 9:01.61 … scored a career-high 17 points at the 2016 C-USA Outdoor Championships, finishing with two bronze medals and a fifth-place finish … Biochemistry major.
Courtney Clayton (Softball)
Cornelius, Ore.
Started all 210 games during her four-year career, second-most in program history … ranks second on UTEP’s all-time hits list with 251, while setting the school record with 386 assists … named the 2016 C-USA Player of the Year … 2018 “Golden Miner” award winner as UTEP’s top all-around senior student-athlete … leads all UTEP seniors with 56.5 community service hours … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) … C-USA Academic Medal (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) … Health Promotion major.
Charles Corner (Men’s Golf)
Cayuga, Ontario, Canada
Two-time Conference USA Second Team selection, 2018 InTouch Credit Union All-Academic team member and two-time conference Golfer of the Week recipient … part of the 2017 Conference USA Championship lineup … NCAA Regional selection as an individual in 2018 … led the Miners with a 71.5 scoring average and was the team’s top finisher in four of five spring tournaments in 2018 … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) … C-USA Academic Medal (2015) … Finance major.
Luke Elsner (Football)
Seymour, Wis.
Defensive lineman played in 14 games for the Miners … was a three-year letterwinner … notched a total of 15 tackles … participated in six contests as a true freshman, seeing action on special teams and defense … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) … Management major.
Kaitlin Fifield (Softball)
El Paso, Texas
Tied for third on the school’s all-time wins list with 24 … ranks third with 445 innings … made 68 starts and 107 appearances in the circle during her four-year career … won a career-high 11 games in 2016, while helping the Miners advance to the C-USA Tournament … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) … Education major.
Derron Gatewood (Football)
Odessa, Texas
Will be a senior on the 2018 squad … has played in 28 games, making 23 starts at center and right guard … started all 12 games in 2016 and helped pave the way for Aaron Jones to rush for a program-record 1,773 yards … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2015, 2017, 2018) … Kinesiology major.
Erika Harrawood (Softball)
El Paso, Texas
Started 34 games in the circle and made 66 appearances during her four-year career … threw over 170 innings with 86 strikeouts … won a trio of games during her senior season and registered a career-high 53 K’s … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) … C-USA Academic Medal (2014, 2015) … Financial Analyst major.
Omega Harris (Men’s Basketball)
Bethany, Okla.
Ranks second in school history in three-point field goals (174), fifth in minutes (3,767), eighth in three-point percentage (.388), ninth in scoring (1,407 points) and 10th in steals (126) … scored in double figures 74 times with fourteen 20-point games … started 100 games for the Miners … third team All-Conference USA as a junior … team MVP as a senior … Multidisciplinary Studies major.
Devyn Hunley (Soccer)
Tucson, Ariz.
Two-year letterwinner who appeared in 36 games, including eight starts, for the Miners … Vice President of UTEP’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2017, 2018) … Multidisciplinary Studies major.
Aaron Jones (Football)
El Paso, Texas
UTEP’s all-time leading rusher (4,114 yards) and ranks seventh on the Conference USA all-time rushing list … broke John Harvey’s 28-year old school record, rushing for 1,773 yards as a senior … earned Associated Press All-American third team and All-C-USA first team honors … currently plays for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL, rushing for 448 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie last season … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2014) … Multidisciplinary Studies major.
Terry Juniel (Football)
Surprise, Ariz.
Will be a senior on the 2018 squad … has played in 24 games for UTEP … has seen the field as a receiver, kick returner and punt returner … during his career has returned 35 punts for 254 yards with 30 kickoff returns for 697 yards … returned six punts for 104 yards versus NM State in 2016 … Multidisciplinary Studies major.
Amanda King (Volleyball)
Boynton, Fla.
Played in 204 sets and 56 matches in two years as a Miner … finished her career ranked third on UTEP’s all-time assist list with 1,129 … added 87 kills, 23 service aces, 350 digs and 42 total blocks … recorded five double-doubles in her senior season while also registering a career-high 55 assists against Rice … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2017, 2018) … Kinesiology major.
Dylan Kittrell (Football)
Carrollton, Texas
Wide receiver played for the Miners for two seasons … saw action in three games and made one start … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2016, 2017) … Multidisciplinary Studies major.
Lilian Koech (Track & Field)
Eldoret, Kenya
Was a part of the women’s track & field team that won three consecutive C-USA indoor titles, and also a member of the Miners’ first conference outdoor championship team … named the 2015 Conference USA Outdoor Freshman of the Meet … holds the fourth-fastest time in program history in the 800m with a career-best 2:04.68 … has eligibility through the 2019 season … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2016) … Biological Sciences major.
Dante Lovilotte (Football)
Port Arthur, Texas
Registered 161 tackles in two seasons, second most by a Miner during that span, after transferring from Kilgore College … started all 24 games at the linebacker position … added five pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 1.5 sacks … Multidisciplinary Studies major.
Prescott Mann (Men’s Golf)
Scottsdale, Ariz.
Played in 28 tournaments for the Miners … registered two top-10 finishes during his senior year, including tying for fourth place at the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate … his collegiate best was a third-place showing at the Price’s “Give ‘Em Five” Invitational in 2016 … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2014, 2015) … Entrepreneurship major.
Ryan Metz (Football)
El Paso, Texas
Will be a senior on the 2018 team … has played in 26 games and made 17 starts at quarterback … has 23 career touchdown passes, needing only one to crack the program’s top-10 list … led the Miners to a five-overtime victory at UTSA in 2016 and came on in relief at NM State, leading UTEP to a come-from-behind OT victory over the Aggies as a freshman … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) … Math major.
Lawrence Montegut (Football)
La Marque, Texas
Played in 38 games for UTEP, seeing action on defense and special teams … notched 56 stops, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one pass breakup, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble and one blocked kick … posted a season-best 24 tackles as a junior … Multidisciplinary Studies major.
Jeanna Mullen (Soccer)
San Antonio, Texas
Four-year letterwinner for the UTEP soccer team who started in her final three seasons for the Miners … picked up eight goals and seven assists for a total of 23 points … three of her goals were match winners, including one to upset second-seeded Rice at the 2016 C-USA Championships … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) … C-USA Academic Medal (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) … Accounting major.
Elijah Perales (Football)
El Paso, Texas
Member of the UTEP football roster during the 2017 season, working with the scout team … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2017, 2018) … C-USA Academic Medal (2017, 2018) … Kinesiology major.
Nicklas Pihl (Men’s Golf)
Ringsted, Denmark
Competed in 42 tournaments for the Miners … part of the 2017 Conference USA Championship lineup … topped the Miners’ scorecard at the 2018 conference championship, tying for sixth place … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) … Finance major.
Warren Redix (Football)
El Paso, Texas
Will be a senior on the 2018 team … has played in 35 games for UTEP, making seven starts at wide receiver … has registered 49 catches for 414 yards and five touchdowns … last season, registered a career-long 44-yard scoring reception against Rice … hauled in a game-winning six-yard touchdown reception during five-overtime victory at UTSA in 2016 … Multimedia Journalism major.
Alisa Rodriguez (Women’s Golf)
Austin, Texas
Appeared in 39 tournaments for UTEP … team leader in scoring average as a junior and posted a career-low 75.8 average as a senior … recorded 10 top-10 and 13 top-20 finishes … tied for second at the Aggie Invitational as a senior … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) … Multidisciplinary Studies major.
Kaitlin Ryder (Softball)
Chatsworth, Calif.
Played in 198 games and made 181 starts during her four-year career … became the eighth Miner to join the 100-RBI club and finished her career with a .335 batting average, ranking sixth on the program’s all-time list … also connected on 18 career long balls, tied for eighth in the record book … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) … Criminal Justice major.
Duda Santos (Tennis)
Curitiba, Brazil
Played in 66 matches in three seasons as a Miner … notched 32 singles and 39 doubles wins … owns the best single-season doubles win percentage in program history (.769) in 2015 … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2015, 2016, 2017) … C-USA Academic Medal (2015, 2016, 2017) … International Business & Finance major.
Rachael Schoenrock (Rifle)
Beatrice, Neb.
Four-year competitor in both disciplines for the UTEP rifle team … paced the Miners in aggregate average in each of her final three seasons … boasts two of the top-five aggregate totals in school history, in addition to four of the top-10 smallbore records … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2017) … Kinesiology major.
Tamara Seda (Women’s Basketball)
Maputo, Mozambique
Three-year starter in the post who ranks second in school history for double-doubles, fourth in field-goal percentage, fifth in rebounds, sixth in blocked shots and tied for ninth in rebounding average … second team All-Conference USA as a senior when she averaged 14.9 points and 9.6 boards … helped the Miners win the 2016 C-USA regular-season championship and advance to the quarterfinals of the WNIT … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2016, 2017, 2018) … Management major.
Michael Sota (Football)
Placentia, Calif.
Defensive lineman is entering his final season in the Orange and Blue … has played in 22 games and made nine starts … has recorded 62 tackles, three pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and four tackles for loss … Criminal Justice major.
Truphena Sum (Track & Field)
Kitale, Kenya
Was a part of the women’s track & field team that won three consecutive C-USA indoor titles, and also a member of the Miners’ first conference outdoor championship team … clocked a personal-best 4:47.23 in the 1,500m at the 2015 C-USA Outdoor Championships, scoring four points for the Miners … Microbiology major.
Florence Uwakwe (Track & Field)
Aboh Mbaise, Nigeria
Was a part of the women’s track & field team that won three consecutive C-USA indoor titles, and also a member of the Miners’ first conference outdoor championship team … finished 25th in the 400m at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships … garnered two C-USA individual titles in the 400m … holds the second-fastest 400m time in school history (51.94 seconds) … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2016, 2017) … Kinesiology major.
Sarah Villa (Volleyball)
El Paso, Texas
Played in 369 sets and 107 matches in four years as a Miner … UTEP’s all-time leader with 1,369 digs and 3.71 digs per set … notched a career-high 45 digs against Southern Miss in 2015 … finished her career with 216 assists, 35 service aces and 15 kills … was a 2016 All-Conference Second Team selection … Education major.
Daphne Visscher (Tennis)
Elst, Netherlands
Played in 117 matches in four years as a Miner, posting 50 singles and 53 doubles wins … tied for fourth on UTEP’s singles wins list and rates fourth in doubles wins … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) … International Business & Management major.
Lois Wagenvoort (Tennis)
Arnhem, Netherlands
Competed in 102 singles and 101 doubles matches, notching 37 singles wins and 41 doubles victories … recorded a 16-win season in 2016 … ranks in the program top-10 for most singles wins … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) … C-USA Academic Medal (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) … International Business major.
Josh Weeks (Football)
Show Low, Ariz.
Tight end has two seasons of eligibility remaining … played in seven games last season … recorded six receptions for 68 yards (11.3 avg.) and a touchdown … scored first collegiate touchdown and recorded season-highs in receptions (two), receiving yards (43) and long reception (41 yards) at UAB … Multidisciplinary Studies major.
Tatum Winter (Volleyball)
Gilbert, Ariz.
Played in 175 sets and 53 matches in two years as a Miner … registered 226 kills and 145 blocks … ranks fifth on UTEP’s all-time blocks list … notched a match-high 10 kills against FIU and Rice in 2016, and nine blocks against Southern Miss in 2015 … C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2016, 2017) … Marketing major.
