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DALLAS – UNT softball placed a league-high seven players on All-Conference USA teams including three first-team selections, the league announced on Tuesday. Junior infielder Kailey Gamble collected her second consecutive first-team award and third all-league honor of her career. She was joined on the first team by senior pitcher Ashley Peters and sophomore infielder Cierra Simon, both of whom appeared on all-conference teams last season. Junior catcher Kalei Christensen, junior infielder Mikayla Smith and junior pitcher McKenzie Wagoner picked up second-team honors after each received C-USA player of the week awards this season. Redshirt-Freshman infielder Tatum Sparks was recognized as a member of the All-Freshman Team. The group is the second-most players named to postseason all-conference teams after UNT placed nine players in 2021. The Mean Green are set to open its C-USA Championship in Ruston, La. North Texas will face the winner between Middle Tennessee and Louisiana Tech on Wednesday at 5 p.m. on ESPN+.

DALLAS – The three-time Conference USA champion UNT softball team was voted first in the league’s preseason poll, garnering nine of 10 first place votes and 99 points overall, the league announced on Thursday. The first-place preseason selection marks the third occasion in program history to enter the season as favorites and third in the past four seasons. North Texas senior Ashley Peters was named the C-USA Preseason Pitcher of the Year after a 20-win season last year. Peters becomes the second pitcher in program history to be awarded the superlative recognition after Hope Trautwein captured the honor in 2020 and 2021. The Mean Green also placed five players on the C-USA preseason team, the most in program history passing marks of three selections in 2019 and 2020. Peters joins catcher Kalei Christensen, infielder Kailey Gamble, outfielder Lexi Cobb and pitcher Skylar Savage as members of the all-conference squad. UNT had the most selections in the league with no other team having more than two honorees, which are selected by the conference’s head coaches. “It’s good to see some of our players get recognized because they work hard and are very deserving,” head coach Rodney DeLong said. “We have a tough schedule and a competitive league to compete against so preseason polls don’t mean a lot to us. We have to work hard and stay tough through the course of the season to be successful. We are excited about this team and the opportunities that are in front of us.” UNT will begin its season at the Buzz Classic in Atlanta with a doubleheader on Feb. 10 against UIC and Saint Francis before meeting UConn and hosts Georgia Tech to wrap up the weekend. 2023 C-USA Softball Preseason Poll 1. North Texas (9) 99 2. WKU 82 3. Charlotte (1) 78 4. LA Tech 74 T5. Florida Atlantic 56 T5. UAB 56 7. UTSA 39 T8. FIU 25 T8. Middle Tennessee 25 10. UTEP 16 (first place votes) C-USA Softball Preseason All-Conference Team C – Kalei Christensen, North Texas Jr. C – Sierra Frazier, UAB* Sr. IF – Ella Chancey, Charlotte* So. IF – Kailey Gamble, North Texas* Jr. IF – Amanda Gonzalez, LA Tech* Sr. IF – Kat Ibarra, UTSA* Jr. IF – Lindsey Smith, UAB So. OF – Sara Berthiaume, Florida Atlantic* Sr. OF – Lexi Cobb, North Texas* Jr. OF – Taylor Davis, WKU* Sr. OF – Sierra Sacco, LA Tech* So. OF – Bailey Vannoy, Charlotte* Gr. DP/UT – Marena Estell, UTSA Gr. P – Lynn Gardner, Florida Atlantic* Gr. P – Ashley Peters, North Texas* Sr. P – Skylar Savage, North Texas* So. * - 2022 all-conference selection

Link: http://conferenceusa.com/news/2018/7/16/football-fb-2018-preseason-awards.aspx FB: 2018 Preseason Awards July 16, 2018 A trio of standouts headline the list of 2018 preseason Conference USA Football award winners, as chosen by the league’s 14 head coaches. Florida Atlantic junior RB Devin Singletary was selected as the C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, Florida Atlantic senior LB Azeez Al-Shaair was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Year, while Southern Miss senior K Parker Shaunfield earned Special Teams Player of the Year honors. 2018_Preseason_Awards "Motor" Singletary was named C-USA Most Valuable Player last season after scoring a nation-leading 32 rushing touchdowns last season (nine more than any other player) and 33 total TDs (five more than any other player). He scored more rushing touchdowns last year (32) than previous school career record-holder Alfred Morris had in four years from 2008-11 (27). Singletary also topped 100 yards in each of the final 11 games of the season for the Owls. Both the rushing TD’s and total TD’s are new C-USA records in those categories, breaking records held by UCF RB Kevin Smith, now his running backs coach. Singletary finished fifth nationally with 1,920 rushing yards and FAU was sixth nationally in rushing at 285.9 yards per game. Al-Shaair was a first team All-Conference USA selection in 2017 after he set a new Florida Atlantic single-season record with 147 tackles. He posted nine games with double-digit stops and also helped the defense with 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four passes defended and one forced fumble. Al-Shaair already holds the schools’ career tackles mark with 354. Shaunfield converted the first 89 extra-point attempts to start his career (a school record) and is now 104-for-106 all-time as a Golden Eagle. The first team All-C-USA performer converted 17-of-20 field goals last season, including 15 in a row at one point. Shaunfield was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2017. Defending conference champion Florida Atlantic had the most overall preseason selections with six, while Marshall produced five and Louisiana Tech and Middle Tennessee each had players comprising four spots. Eight schools had multiple players named to the squad. The league’s 23rd football season begins on Thursday, August 30. The 14th annual Conference USA Football Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West Divisions, will be held Saturday, Dec. 1. The C-USA Media Poll (Predicted Order of Finish) will be released on Tuesday. 2018 C-USA FOOTBALL COACHES PRESEASON AWARDS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Devin Singletary, Jr., RB, Florida Atlantic DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Azeez Al-Shaair, Sr., LB, Florida Atlantic SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR Parker Shaunfield, Sr., K, Southern Miss OFFENSE QB Mason Fine, Jr., North Texas QB Brent Stockstill, Sr., Middle Tennessee RB Spencer Brown, So., UAB RB Devin Singletary, Jr., Florida Atlantic OL Reggie Bain, Sr., Florida Atlantic OL Chandler Brewer, Sr., Middle Tennessee OL Jordan Budwig, Sr., FIU OL Levi Brown, Jr., Marshall OL O’Shea Dugas, Sr., Louisiana Tech TE Harrison Bryant, Jr., Florida Atlantic WR Tyre Brady, Sr., Marshall WR Jalen Guyton, Sr., North Texas WR Ty Lee, Jr., Middle Tennessee WR Teddy Veal, Sr., Louisiana Tech DEFENSE DL Jaylon Ferguson, So., Louisiana Tech DL Fermin Silva, Sr., FIU DL Kevin Strong, Jr., Sr., UTSA DL Oshane Ximines, Jr., Old Dominion LB Azeez Al-Shaair, Sr., Florida Atlantic LB Khalil Brooks, Jr., Middle Tennessee LB Chase Hancock, Sr., Marshall LB Josiah Tauaefa, Jr., UTSA DB Ben DeLuca, Jr., Charlotte DB Malik Gant, Jr., Marshall DB Shelton Lewis, Sr., Florida Atlantic DB Amik Robertson, So., Louisiana Tech DB Jalen Young, Sr., Florida Atlantic SPECIAL TEAMS K Parker Shaunfield, Sr., Southern Miss P Jack Fox, Sr., Rice KR Isaiah Harper, Sr., Old Dominion PR Darrell Brown, Jr., Old Dominion LS Matt Beardall, Jr., Marshall

2017-18 ALL-CONFERENCE USA FIRST TEAM Jon Elmore, Marshall, Jr., G, 6-3, 185, Charleston, West Virginia Nick King, Middle Tennessee, Sr., F, 6-7, 225, Memphis, Tennessee Ahmad Caver, Old Dominion, Jr., G, 6-2, 170, Atlanta, Georgia Chris Cokley, UAB, Sr., F, 6-8, 238, Savannah, Georgia Justin Johnson, WKU, Sr., F, 6-7, 245, Hazard, Kentucky 2017-18 ALL-CONFERENCE USA SECOND TEAM C.J. Burks, Marshall, Jr., G, 6-4, 195, Martinsburg, West Virginia Giddy Potts, Middle Tennessee, Sr., G, 6-2, 217, Athens, Alabama Roosevelt Smart, North Texas, So., G, 6-3, 185, Chicago, Illinois Jhivvan Jackson, UTSA, Fr., G, 6-0, 160, Bayamón, Puerto Rico Darius Thompson, WKU, Gr., 6-4, 190, Murfreesboro, Tennessee 2017-18 ALL-CONFERENCE USA THIRD TEAM Brian Beard Jr., FIU, Jr., G, 5-10, 180, Rancho Cucamonga, California Ronald Delph, Florida Atlantic, R-Sr., C, 7-0, 245, Winter Haven, Florida Jacobi Boykins, Louisiana Tech, Sr., G, 6-6, 175, St. Petersburg, Florida Ajdin Penava, Marshall, Jr., F, 6-9, 220, Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina B.J. Stith, Old Dominion, Jr., G, 6-5, 215, Lawrenceville, Virginia 2017-18 CONFERENCE USA ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM Anthony Duruji, Louisiana Tech, Fr., F, 6-7, 198, Germantown, Maryland Zack Bryant, UAB, Fr., G, 6-2, 180, Hastings, Florida Jhivvan Jackson, UTSA, Fr., G, 6-0, 160, Bayamón, Puerto Rico Keaton Wallace, UTSA, Fr., G, 6-3, 170, Dallas, Texas Taveion Hollingsworth, WKU, Fr., G, 6-2, 175, Lexington, Kentucky 2017-18 CONFERENCE USA ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM Brian Beard Jr., FIU, Jr., G, 5-10, 180, Rancho Cucamonga, California Ajdin Penava, Marshall, Jr., F, 6-9, 220, Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina Tyrik Dixon, Middle Tennessee, So., G, 6-1, 184, Bentonville, Arkansas Ahmad Caver, Old Dominion, Jr., G, 6-2, 170, Atlanta, Georgia William Lee, UAB, Sr., F, 6-9, 206, Selma, Alabama