Stevic, Watson named 2023-24 SLU Athletes of the Year

[administrator]

HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana University Athletics named seniors Slavko Stevic and Ka’Lyn Watson the school’s 2023-24 Athletes of the Year Wednesday.

Stevic and Watson will be recognized at the 2024 North Oaks Health System Southeastern Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet Sept. 13, along with the 2024 Hall of Fame class of Amir Abdur-Rahim, Chris Laiche, Kevin Millican and Alex Young, as well as the 1975 national champion men’s track and field team. Volleyball standout Courtney Donald was elected to the 2024 class, but will take part in the 2025 ceremony due to a personal commitment. Tickets for the event are available at www.LionSports.net/HOF.

Southeastern Athletics has presented the Athlete of the Year to the department’s top male and female performers since 1990. Stevic, one of 10 track and field student-athletes to earn the honor, was named SLU Male Athlete of the Year for the second straight year. He is one of five student-athletes in school history, along with Young and women’s tennis standouts Renee Villarreal, Emilija Arnaudovska and Renata Smekalova to be named the school’s Athlete of the Year multiple times.

Watson’s selection marks the third straight year the SLU Female Athlete of the Year has come from the Southeastern softball program. She joins Bailey Krolczyk, Aeriyl Mass, Jacquelyn Ramon, Mahalia Gibson, Katie Duhe and Sarah Gascon to give Lady Lion Softball seven Southeastern Female Athletes of the Year.

Stevic, a native of Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia, capped one of the finest careers ever by a SLU student-athlete this spring. He pulled off the sweep in the high jump at both the Southland Conference Indoor and Outdoor championship meets. For his Southeastern career, he won four SLC championships in the high jump in both indoor and outdoor competition.

Stevic qualified to compete in the NCAA Outdoor East Preliminary Round, but decided to forego the opportunity, instead attempting to qualify to represent his native Serbia in the 2024 Summer Olympics. Stevic was also an outstanding performer in the classroom, earning SLC Indoor Student-Athlete of the Year honors for the second straight time and claiming SLC All-Academic recognition for the fourth time.

Watson was one of the catalysts of a 47-win SLU softball team that won its first-ever Southland Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The Missouri City, Texas native was named SLC Hitter of the Year, first team All-Southland Conference and first team All-Louisiana after setting a new single-season school mark with 55 runs scored.

Watson batted .394 with a league-high 31 steals – good for 12th in the nation. She also added 74 hits, eight doubles, five triples, six home runs and 39 RBI. Her strong play continued in the postseason, as she was named to the SLC All-Tournament team and hit a home run in an elimination game victory over No. 21 Clemson that sent the Lady Lions to the championship game of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional.

The 2023-24 Male and Female Athlete of the Year were selected by the department’s head coaches and administrative staff.

The 2024-25 Southeastern Athletics season kicked off with the first stop on the Coaches Caravan Tuesday at Greystone Golf & Country Club in Denham Springs. The caravan moves on to The Rusty Pelican (482 Myrtle Dr.) in Covington Thursday. The final stop sees the Lions and Lady Lions return to Hammond, America Wednesday at Gnarly Barley Brewing (1709 Corbin Rd.). All Coaches Caravan events start at 6 p.m.

Southeastern’s first athletic competition of the 2024-25 season is set for Aug. 16 when the SLU women’s soccer team hosts Grambling at 7 p.m. in Strawberry Stadium.

Southeastern Louisiana University Athletes of the Year
2023-24: Male: Slavko Stevic, Track and Field; Female: Ka’Lyn Watson, Softball
2022-23: Male: Slavko Stevic, Track and Field; Female: Bailey Krolczyk, Softball
2021-22: Male: Preston Faulkner, Baseball; Aeriyl Mass, Softball
2020-21: Male: Cole Kelley, Football; Female: Megan Gordon, Soccer
2019-20: Male: Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, Football; Female: Jodi Edo, Volleyball
2018-19: Male: Corey Gaconi, Baseball; Female: Jaquelyn Ramon, Softball
2017-18: Male: Marlain Veal, Basketball; Female: Mahalia Gibson, Softball
2016-17: Male: Alex Young, Track and Field; Female: Ashley Davis, Track and Field
2015-16: Male: Jameson Fisher, Baseball; Female: Renee Villarreal, Tennis
2014-15: Male: Alex Young, Track and Field; Female: Renee Villarreal, Tennis
2013-14: Male: Bryan Bennett, Football; Female: Renee Villarreal, Tennis and Hope Sabadash, Soccer
2012-13: Male: Robert Alford, Football; Female: Courtney Donald, Volleyball
2011-12: Male: Brock Hebert, Baseball; Female: Maiya Cooper, Soccer
2010-11: Male: Tyler Watkins, Baseball; Female: Katie Duhe, Softball
2009-10: Male: Adonson Shallow, Track and Field; Female: Dana Mayer, Soccer
2008-09: Male: Cedric Scotto, Golf; Female: Kristy Carlin, Basketball
2007-08: Male: Wade Miley, Baseball; Female: Emilija Arnaudovska, Tennis
2006-07: Male: Chris Province, Baseball; Female: Emilija Arnaudovska, Tennis
2005-06: Male: Lars Laursen, Track and Field; Female: Iva Velkovska, Tennis
2004-05: Male: Chris Carter, Track and Field; Female: Kim McNally, Soccer
2003-04: Male: Amir Abdur-Rahim, Basketball; Female: Kendra Oney, Soccer
2002-03: Male: Chris Carter, Track and Field; Female: Sarah Gascon, Volleyball/Softball
2001-02: Male: Andy Smith, Golf; Female: Becca Weingartner, Soccer
2000-01: Male: Steve Trosclair, Baseball; Female: Christine Amertil, Track and Field
1999-00: Male: Jacques Chevallier, Golf; Female: Stacey Turner, Basketball
1998-99: Male: Macky Waguespack, Baseball; Female: Allison Holladay, Soccer
1997-98: Male: Grant White, Golf; Female: Simona Nedorostova, Tennis
1996-97: Male: Martin du Toit, Golf; Female: Anne Bauer, Volleyball
1995-96: Male: Sam Bowie, Basketball and Jeff Williams, Baseball; Female: Darci Starr, Volleyball and Deneka Knowles, Basketball
1994-95: Male: Harvey Baker, Basketball; Female: Felisa Howard, Track and Field and Rena Faust, Basketball
1993-94: Male: David Bennett, Track and Field; Female: Renata Smekalova, Tennis
1992-93: Male: Hank Washington, Basketball; Female: Renata Smekalova, Tennis
1991-92: Male: Troy Melancon, Baseball; Female: Millie Williams, Basketball
1990-91: Male: Oja Fjellstrom, Tennis; Female: Diana Brown, Track and Field

 

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