Chris Hoad and Sydney Bishop were recognized Thursday by the Lone Star Conference as members of the conference's first ever performance team.  The teams seek to recognize student-athletes who excel in work ethic, dedication to process, attendance, communication, leadership and growth with 21 student-athletes around the conference receiving recognition. 
 
Bishop, just a freshman, had a stellar year for Falcon Softball.  She hit .400 on the season as the Falcons finished with the highest winning percentage in program history and were four wins shy of breaking the program single season record before the COVID-19 outbreak.  Over her last 10 games, Bishop was red hot.  The Millington, Michigan native hit .588 and caught the final two innings of the first perfect game in program history. 
 
"Sydney is a machine and she loves the grind.  She has a no quit attitude, unmatched work ethic and a will to win and get better," said Head Softball Coach Tiala Tagaloa.  "She came as a spring transfer and to be recognized already is a testament to her work ethic.  Within our shortened season, she was able to make that much of an impact.  She loves to work on her craft on the field, in the weight room or in the classroom.  I'm extremely proud of her for so many reasons and glad she's recognized for the mindset she brings to the program every day. 
 
On the season Bishop had a home run, triple and a pair of doubles with six RBI.  The freshman finished third among all Falcon batters with a 1.074 OPS and was third in SLG at .633.  Bishop had a terrific fielding year as well.  In 36 chances, she didn't commit an error and threw out one attempted base stealer.

"Although a late transfer, Sydney was the definition of consistent and coachable," said Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Josh Jirgal.  "She bought into our system right away and has been a beast in the weight room. She does a great job in the weight room during team training and missed a voluntary workout. Her presence in the weight room instantly elevated her team's already great work ethic. The strength staff was proud to nominate her for the LSC All-Athletic Performance Team."
 
Hoad had an all-time senior season for the Falcon Football team in the fall.  Hoad ended up the Division II tackles-per-game leader and set a new program record with 157 tackles.  The senior ended his career as the leader among all NCAA divisions in career tackles with 526.  Hoad was also a part of a viral play after being handed an interception return so he could score in his final game as a Falcon.  The senior went on to win numerous postseason awards including AP First Team All-American, D2CCA Super Region Four First Team, American Football Coaches Association Second Team All-American, Lone Star Conference First Team All-Conference and was one of 36 finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy.
 
"It's always great to have student-athletes recognized for their effort and nobody is more deserving to be on the inaugural list than Chris," said Head Football Coach Justin Carrigan.

"Chris was a consummate professional this past season at UTPB," said Jirgal.  "Not only was he a great football player on the field, but he also took care of business off the field. Chris came in on his day off every week to either do recovery work, or extra work and it showed on the field. He was a great example for his team this past season and these habits will serve him well as he pursues his professional football career. The strength staff was proud to nominate him for the LSC All-Athletic Performance Team."
 
Josh Elvir was named the Male Performance Athlete of the Year from Angelo State and Lexie Houston from Dallas Baptist was named the Female Performance Athlete of the Year.