• OVC Scholar-Athlete Award History
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - The Ohio Valley Conference has selected six individuals to receive its prestigious Scholar-Athlete Award for 2024-25. The award is the highest individual honor that can be earned by OVC student-athletes and is given annually to three men and three women student-athletes for their accomplishments in both the classroom and athletic arena, and because of their leadership qualities.
The six winners were selected from a group of finalists by a vote of OVC Faculty Athletics Representatives. Honorees must have performed athletically with distinction, earned at least a 3.5 grade-point average and conducted themselves in a manner which has brought credit to the student-athlete, his or her institution, intercollegiate athletics and the OVC. The award is based on academic and athletic criteria/accomplishments achieved during the 2023-24 school year.
The 2024-25 Ohio Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete winners are:
Mackenzie Aldridge of Eastern Illinois (cross country/track & field),
Paxton DeLaurent of Southeast Missouri (football),
Izzy Patterson of UT Martin (soccer),
Chad Smith of Eastern Illinois (soccer),
Katie Toney of Tennessee Tech (soccer) and
Jonathan Xoinis of UT Martin (golf).
Mackenzie Aldridge – Aldridge competes as a distance runner for the Eastern Illinois cross country and track and field programs. She was part of back-to-back OVC Cross Country Championship teams (2022, 2023) and earned All-OVC first-team honors in 2023 after placing second at the OVC Championship (she placed third in 2024). During the track and field season she finished third in the 10K at the Outdoor Championships. In the classroom she has compiled a 4.0 grade point average in kinesiology, sport and recreation while earning four OVC Academic Medal of Honor awards and being an eight-time Dean’s List honoree. She will graduate Summa Cum Laude after the fall semester. Aldridge is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the EIU Physical Education Club and the EIU Pickleball Club. She has volunteered with numerous projects including the Charleston Food Pantry.
Paxton DeLaurent – DeLaurent is the quarterback for Southeast Missouri. A year ago, he played in the first seven game of the season before suffering a season-ending injury (he has returned to form in 2024 and put up All-American numbers). In 2023 he completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 1,792 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for four additional scores. In the classroom, he has a 3.591 GPA in three years at SEMO in physical education (his overall college GPA is 3.969). A year ago, he was named to the Big South-OVC All-Academic Team while also earning the OVC Academic Medal of Honor and being named to the SEMO President’s List. He was also named a finalist for the FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award. He has served as a counselor at the prestigious Manning Passing Academy, as well as at FCS Football Camps. In addition, he has been a tutor at local elementary schools.
Izzy Patterson – Patterson is currently in her fourth season as a member of the UT Martin soccer program. During the 2023 season the midfielder started all 19 team matches, netting three goals and logging over 1600 minutes on the pitch. That performance earned her first-team All-OVC honors for the second-straight season (she would go on to earn her third-straight first-team honor after the 2024 season). In the classroom she has a 4.0 grade point average in health and human performance with a minor in psychology. She has earned multiple OVC Academic Medal of Honor and UTM Chancellor’s Honor Roll awards. She is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the UTM Athletics Board Advisory Committee, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society and the National Society of Leadership & Success. She has volunteered with Special Olympics, UTM Captain’s Pantry and youth clinics among other activities.
Chad Smith – Smith is a goalkeeper for the Eastern Illinois men’s soccer program. A year ago, he started 11 matches, netting a 1.11 goals against average while making 52 total saves. He notched five shutouts, including one against Liberty in the OVC Tournament Quarterfinals, a match EIU won in penalty kicks to advance to the semifinals (its first conference semifinal appearance since 2007). In the classroom he has a 3.95 grade point average while majoring in business and technology. Smith has earned the OVC Academic Medal of Honor, been named to the EIU Dean’s List and named the recipient of the School of Technology Scholarship. He has served as President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), earned the OVC Community Service Award and been a NCAA Leadership Forum attendee while also serving as a Special Olympics volunteer.
Katie Toney – Toney is a forward for the Tennessee Tech women’s soccer program, helping the Golden Eagles to regular season championship in each of her first three seasons (2022, 2023, 2024). During the 2023 campaign she was named OVC Forward of the Year while earning first-team All-OVC and OVC All-Tournament honors (she once again earned first-team honors in 2024). Overall, she played in 19 matches, scoring six goals and assisting on a league-leading seven other scores. In the classroom she has a 4.0 grade point average as a double major in exercise science and interdisciplinary studies. She has earned multiple OVC Academic Medal of Honor awards and been named to the TTU Dean’s List. Toney has served as the treasurer of TTU Impact, marketing director of Best Buddies (a program the creates opportunities for those with mental and/or physical disabilities), an ambassador for the College of Business, a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Marketing Club.
Jonathan Xoinis – Xoinis is in his fourth year of competition with the UT Martin golf program after redshirting as a freshman. During the 2023-24 year he competed in 11 events, averaging 74.2 strokes per round and helped the Skyhawks to a berth in the Match Play portion of the OVC Championship. He has compiled a 3.89 grade point average in engineering as an undergraduate and currently has a 4.0 GPA as a graduate student working on his MBA. He has earned the OVC Academic Medal of Honor, been named a Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar and earned the Upper Division Engineering Award. He has also been the treasurer of the IEEE Robotics Society. During the summer he has volunteered with the Silverdale Baptist Church Camp, has participated with the Soybean Festival parade and organized an alumni golf scramble.
Other nominees for the Scholar-Athlete Award were:
Rachel Balinao of Western Illinois (soccer),
Sanura Branigan of Tennessee State (track & field),
Abe Haerr of Lindenwood (football),
Sofie Lowis of SIUE (basketball),
Nic Muench of SIUE (soccer),
Hayden Olsen of Tennessee Tech (football),
Elizabeth Rater of Southeast Missouri (soccer),
Vanessa Shafford of Southern Indiana (basketball) and
Irene Wogenstahl of Morehead State (volleyball).