Athletics: Washington, Montoya Honored As UL Student-Athletes Of The Year

Top athletes from each sport honored during annual Student-Athlete of the Year Banquet 

LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns men’s basketball player Bryce Washington and women’s soccer player Yazmin Montoya were each honored on Monday as they were named the UL Male and Female Student-Athlete of the Year during the athletic department’s annual Student-Athlete of the Year Banquet at the UL Student Union.
 
Each student-athlete was nominated by their respective head coach and met the criteria of embodying the highest qualities of being an all-around student-athlete through their success in academics, athletics, leadership and community involvement.
 
Also honored for their respective sports were: Aleah Craighton (Softball), Jessica Bartczyszyn (Women’s Volleyball), Alexandra Way (Women’s Tennis), Lindsay LaGarde (Women’s Track), Malachi Seraphin-Williams (Women’s Basketball), Dylan Moore (Baseball), Matthew Rice (Men’s Track), Karmichael Dunbar (Football), Fernando Cruz Valle (Men’s Golf) and Jamie Fraser (Men’s Tennis).
 
Washington, the UL Male Student-Athlete of the Year, was named as a second-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection and finished as the Sun Belt Conference leader for the second straight year in field goal percentage (.603). The junior forward finished as the lone SBC player to average a double-double, scoring 13.5 points per game and a SBC-best 11.2 rebounds, and his 369 rebounds during the season for Louisiana were the fifth-most in Ragin’ Cajuns history.
 
He finished the season ranked in the top 5 nationally in double-doubles (22), rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game (4.00) and total rebounds (369).
 
A 3.25 student in the classroom, Washington is scheduled to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting after the Spring 2018 semester and has volunteered his time with the Boy’s and Girl’s Club, the UL Big Event and tutoring youth at JW Faulk Elementary.
 
Montoya, the UL Female Student-Athlete of the Year, was a magna cum laude graduate in Exercise Science after the Fall 2016 semester and is currently enrolled in graduate school at UL. A four-year letterwinner and three-time team captain for the Ragin’ Cajuns, Montoya finished her career as the all-time leader in goals (26), assists (15), points (67), shots (227) and shot on-goal (98).   
 
She earned first-team All-Sun Belt Conference and All-Louisiana honors as both a freshman and senior while being named to the SBC Commissioner’s List and the UL Dean’s List. Montoya played an active role in the community, volunteering her time with the Down Syndrome Association of Acadiana, Habitat for Humanity and serving on a mission trip in St. Lucia.
 
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Student-Athlete of the Year Honorees
2013-14 – Matt Hicks (Baseball); Natalie Fernandez (Softball)
2014-15 – Evan Tatford (Football); Jordan Wallace (Softball)
2015-16 – Dylan Moore (Baseball); Kia Wilridge (Women’s Basketball)
2016-17 – Bryce Washington (Men’s Basketball); Yazmin Montoya (Soccer)