Collin Mayer and Kim Abbott of St. Edward’s have been selected as the recipients of the 2010 Heartland Conference Scholar-Athlete award after a vote of the league’s athletic directors and faculty athletics representatives.
The Scholar-Athlete Award is annually presented to a male and female student-athlete in the Heartland Conference who excels in both athletics and academics while demonstrating leadership and a commitment to service.
Mayer, a men’s golfer from Houston, Texas, graduated with a GPA of 4.0 and the distinction of Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from St. Edward’s in May.
On the links, Mayer’s senior season performance earned him three Conference Player of the Week awards, a spot on the all-Heartland Conference first-team, Heartland Conference Player of the Year, first-team all-South Central Region, and PING/GCAA Honorable Mention All-American.
Mayer served as the golf team representative to the St. Edward’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee his freshman and senior years and has volunteered at the First Tee of Greater Austin over the past four years. He is a 2010 Delta Sigma Pi Award Recipient and received the Emma Lou Linn Athletic Scholar Award.
Mayer, a four-time All-Heartland Conference selection, is a University Scholar and appeared on the dean’s list every semester and on the Heartland Conference President’s Honor Roll each of his four years. During his junior and senior years he received ESPN the Magazine First-Team Academic All District, ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American, as well as NCAA All-America Scholar. During Collin’s tenure on the Hilltop he has been instrumental in the men’s golf teams’ consistent top 20 national ranking, as well as three Heartland Conference Championships, four NCAA Regional Tournament Appearances, a Regional Tournament Championship, and a National Runner-Up Finish.
Mayer is a member of Alpha Chi, a National Academic Honor Society, as well as Delta Mu Delta, a National Honor Society in Business Administration. He was recognized as the St. Edward’s University “Freshman Business Student of the Year” in 2007 and “Sophomore Business Student of the Year” in 2008. He was nominated for Capstone Paper of the Year in 2009. He is a 2010 Delta Sigma Pi Award Recipient and received the Emma Lou Linn Athletic Scholar Award.
Abbott, women’s soccer player from Missouri City, Texas, maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.97 and graduated Summa Cum Laude from St. Edward’s this spring with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with Teacher Certification.
As a senior, Abbott was twice selected as conference Player of the Week, was placed on the all-Heartland Conference first-team twice - once as a midfielder, and once as a defender. She earned first-team all-Region, Heartland Conference Player of the Year, and NCAA Division II First Team All-American.
Abbott appeared on the dean’s list each of her eight semesters, earned academic all conference each of her four years, was named to the Academic All-District Team in 2008, and is a recipient of the University Scholar Award, a Dean’s Scholarship and the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship.
In her four years at St. Edward’s, Abbott appeared in each of the team’s 82 matches - making 74 starts. She served as team captain her senior year and helped her team to two Heartland Conference Championships, two Conference Runner-ups, three appearances in the NCAA tournament – advancing to the Sweet 16 her senior year. She is a four-time all-Heartland Conference selection.
Abbott holds the St. Edward’s record in three categories: games played, shots and shots on goal, and is top five in the record book in seven statistical categories. She holds the number two spot in assists (29) and game winning goals (9). She is third in points (91) and fifth in goals (31).
Abbott was also a champion in giving back to the community. Some of her service includes running a Math and English TAKS tutoring supplemental group at Covington Middle School, Adopt-An-Athlete with a 3rd grade class at Dawson Elementary, and a Reading Project in Travis Heights Elementary bilingual Kindergarten classes. She has also participated in Copperfield Elementary School’s Family Math Night, and several Teeny Toppers Programs at Travis Heights and Dawson Elementary Schools.
The Heartland Conference is an NCAA Division II conference, founded in 1999, that currently consists of eight schools. The schools comprising the Heartland Conference are Arkansas-Fort Smith, Dallas Baptist, Oklahoma Panhandle State, Newman, St. Edward’s, St. Mary’s (Texas), Texas A&M International, and the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.