2022-23 Year in Review

The 2022-23 season was one to remember for Texas State. 

Championship performances, record-breaking seasons, and All-American standouts, the Bobcats found success in competition and in the classroom.

Here is a look back at the season that was.

Conference Champions

Women’s basketball won the conference championship, their first in 15 years. They advanced to the championship game of the Sun Belt tournament and participated in the WNIT. The Bobcats finished the season 23-10.

Head Coach Zenarae Antoine was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year and became the program’s all-time winningest head coach hitting the mark of 175 wins. 

Postseason Play for the Bobcats

Volleyball won the Sun Belt West Division and finished second overall in the league. After advancing to the championship match of the conference tournament, the team finished the season 24-7, narrowly missing the NCAA tournament. 

Men’s basketball advanced to the semi-finals of the Sun Belt Conference Championship tournament. The Bobcats also had season victories over Pac 12-member University of California and Atlantic 10 member Rhode Island. 

Cross Country’s Megan Ombres and Daniela Wisniewski represented Texas State at the 2022 Division I South Central Regional. 

Track and Field Individual Conference Championships

Across the indoor and outdoor seasons, the Bobcats won 16 individual Sun Belt championships.

• Mathilde Canet – indoor pentathlon 
• Daniel Harrold – indoor 60 meter hurdles
• Taahir Kelly – outdoor 200 meters
• Chris Preddie – outdoor long jump 
• Elisabet Runarsdottir – outdoor hammer throw 
• Sedrickia Wynn – indoor 60 meter
• Sedrickia Wynn – indoor 200 meters
• Sedrickia Wynn – outdoor 100 meters
• Sedrickia Wynn – outdoor 200 meters
• Dominick Yancy – indoor 200 meters 
• Dominick Yancy – outdoor 400 meters
• Men’s 4x400 – indoor
• Men’s 4x100 – outdoor 
• Men’s 4x400 – outdoor
• Women’s 4x400 – indoor 
• Women’s 4x100 – outdoor 

Record Breaking Year

Track and Field set 15 school records during the 2023 indoor and outdoor season while Elisabet Runarsdottir, Chris Preddie, and Sedrickia Wynn earned All-America honors during the outdoor season, Runarsdottir and Preddie doing so as freshmen. 

Runarsdottir, Preddie, and Wynn represented Texas State at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. 

The men’s and women’s teams both finished runner-up at the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships with eight Bobcats winning a total of nine individual conference titles. Four Bobcats earned “… of the year” awards from the Sun Belt. 

New Chapter of Bobcat Football

Texas State successfully hired GJ Kinne and a new staff to lead our football program. 

“We'll play an exciting brand of football,” Kinne said during his introductory press conference. “Offensively, we're going to be a tempo team. We're a run-play action team and we are going to light up the scoreboard. Defensively, we are going to attack. We're going to be high tempo on defense as well. We are going to attack. We're going to swarm with great energy and play a relentless style of football. Our team will play with energy. We'll have swagger to us. I believe in this place. I believe in this leadership. And I can't wait to get to work. Eat 'Em Up!” 

Coach Kinne has since grown the 2023 roster with 50 new additions. 

Softball Contends Once Again

Softball reached an NCAA Regional for the 11th time in program history, the 10th time under head coach Ricci Woodard, as it earned an at-large bid into the postseason. The Bobcats finished the season with 35 wins, the sixth time in the last seven full seasons that has happened. 

Another Historic Season for Baseball

Baseball finished the season with 36 wins, which is tied for the seventh most in program history. For the first time in 12 years the Bobcats have had back-to-back seasons of 36 or more wins since 2009-11. 

Successful First Seasons

In Steve Holeman’s first season as the Texas State soccer head coach, he led his team to a program record seven-match unbeaten streak to start the season and won a total of 12 matches, the most since 2015. 

Kendall Brooks was named the new head women’s tennis coach in June 2022 after serving as the assistant coach for two years. In her first year back at the helm of a program, Brooks led the Bobcats to eight wins, the most since 2017. 

Golf Programs on the Rise

On top of winning two tournaments this season, men’s golf won the inaugural National Golf Invitational to conclude the season. In Tom Roed Karlsen’s first year at Texas State, he captured the individual title at the Tempest Collegiate in the fall. 

Women’s golf was the runner-up at the Sun Belt Conference Championship with Junia Gabasa and Yvonne Chamness making the All-Tournament Team. The Bobcats opened the spring by winning the Texas State Invitational. Women’s golf finished the year with a Golfstat ranking of 87 after competing in the National Golf Invitational. 

All-Americans

Seven different Bobcats picked up All-America honors this season, including three on the track and field team.

All-Sun Belt Honorees

• Levi Wells (Baseball) – Second Team
• Mason Harrell (Men’s Basketball) – Third Team
• Da’Nasia Hood (Women’s Basketball) – First Team
• Kennedy Taylor (Women’s Basketball) – Second Team
• Levi Bell (Football) – Second Team
• Kyle Hergel (Football) – Third Team
• Kasper Nyland (Men’s Golf) – Third Team
• Matilda Svahn (Women’s Golf) – First Team
• Marine Griffaut (Women’s Golf) – Second Team
• Madi Goss (Soccer) – First Team
• Avery Thies (Soccer) – Second Team
• Jessica Mullins (Softball) – First Team
• Sara Vanderford (Softball) – Second Team
• Taahir Kelly (Men’s Indoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Daniel Harrold (Men’s Indoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Avery Veiseh (Men’s Indoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Brian West (Men’s Indoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Dominick Yancy (Men’s Indoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Mathilde Canet (Women’s Indoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Sedrickia Wynn (Women’s Indoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Chris Preddie (Men’s Indoor Track & Field) – Second Team
• Simon Thor (Men’s Indoor Track & Field) – Second Team
• Lauryn Small (Women’s Indoor Track & Field) – Second Team
• Katherine Stuckly (Women’s Indoor Track & Field) – Second Team
• Ashton Callahan (Men’s Indoor Track & Field) – Third Team
• Bervensky Pierre (Men’s Indoor Track & Field) – Third Team
• Ashton Callahan (Men’s Outdoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Daniel Harrold (Men’s Outdoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Taahir Kelly (Men’s Outdoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Chris Preddie (Men’s Outdoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Brian West (Men’s Outdoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Dominick Yancy (Men’s Outdoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Grady Leonard (Men’s Outdoor Track & Field) – Second Team
• Aiden Hayes (Men’s Outdoor Track & Field) – Third Team
• Simon Thor (Men’s Outdoor Track & Field) – Third Team
• Sadi Giles (Women’s Outdoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Cara Johnson (Women’s Outdoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Elisabet Runarsdottir (Women’s Outdoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Anayah Washington (Women’s Outdoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Sedrickia Wynn (Women’s Outdoor Track & Field) – First Team
• Ututofon Sam (Women’s Outdoor Track & Field) – Second Team
• Katherine Stuckly (Women’s Outdoor Track & Field) – Second Team
• Deborah Bulai (Women’s Outdoor Track & Field) – Third Team
• Melanie Duron (Women’s Outdoor Track & Field) – Third Team
• Emily DeWalt (Volleyball) – First Team
• Janell Fitzgerald (Volleyball) – First Team
• Jada Gardner (Volleyball) – Second Team
• Lauren Teske (Volleyball) – Second Team

Best in their Sport

From best at their position to the best in the league, six student-athletes and one coach earned a total of 8 “… of the year” awards from the Sun Belt.

• Zenarae Antoine (Women’s Basketball)
  • Sun Belt Coach of the Year
• Emily DeWalt (Volleyball)
  • Sun Belt Player of the Year
  • Sun Belt Setter of the Year
• Janell Fitzgerald (Volleyball)
  • Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year
• Taahir Kelly (Track & Field)
  • Sun Belt Men’s Track Performer of the Year (Outdoor)
• Grady Leonard (Track & Field)
  • Sun Belt Men’s Newcomer of the Year (Outdoor)
• Elisabet Runarsdottir (Track & Field)
  • Sun Belt Women’s Freshman of the Year (Outdoor)
• Sedricka Wynn (Track & Field)
  • Sun Belt Women’s Track Performer of the Year (Indoor)

Academic Achievements

In addition to championship aspirations, all student-athletes are looking to achieve the ultimate goal of their time at Texas State: graduation.

This year, 103 Bobcats earned their degrees following the fall and spring semesters.

During the fall semester, 58% of Texas State student-athletes made a 3.0 GPA or higher and 54 students had a 4.0 GPA or higher. 

Bobcat student-athletes recorded a 3.00 spring semester GPA with 199 Bobcats making over a 3.0 and 48 finishing the year with a 4.0 GPA. 

Women’s tennis had the highest sport GPA among Texas State athletics with a 3.62 spring team GPA. Baseball and men’s golf achieved their highest spring GPAs this semester with football recording their second highest GPA ever. Softball finished with their highest spring semester in five years and second highest ever. 

One of the best traditions at Texas State is receiving the “T” Ring. Symbolizing excellence on the playing field as well as the classroom, the “T” Ring is given to Bobcats who receive a “T” letter from the athletics department, complete their NCAA eligibility at Texas State, and earn a bachelor’s degree during the academic year or within one year of their NCAA eligibility expiring.

72 Bobcats received their “T” Rings this year. 

Support from the Bobcat Fans

Bobcat Nation showed up in record numbers this year to support several sports. Volleyball, men’s basketball, baseball, and softball all had record season ticket sales. 

Baseball topped their largest record crowd from last year with the biggest single-game attendance of 3,425 fans this year against Texas at Bobcat Ballpark. Support from Bobcat fans all season long produced a total attendance over 50,000 for the first time in program history. 

Softball recorded their fourth largest crowd in Bobcat Softball Stadium history when they faced Texas in front of 1,027 fans. 

Football saw their seventh largest crowd in Bobcat Stadium history with 25,613 fans rallied behind them when they beat App State. 

For Bobcat fans unable to see Texas State action in-person, 103 broadcasts across eight sports were produced on ESPN+, a record number for Texas State athletics. 

The States Up Podcast and STATEment feature stories are two new storytelling platforms that were established to invite Bobcat fans to read about and listen directly to Texas State coaches, student-athletes, and staff about life on and off the fields of play. 

Investing in the Future

Texas State broke ground on the new Football Performance Center at Bobcat Stadium in May. The next chapter of Texas State football will begin construction to the existing complex this summer. The renovation will include a new 8,000 square foot weight room, a new players lounge, a new training room with hydrotherapy, individual position meeting rooms, upgraded conference rooms with additional offices, a recruiting room, and additional premium hospitality spaces for fans to enhance the gameday experience.

Bobcat Stadium will also feature 3,000 newly installed reserved seats and new LED competition lights with light show capabilities. 

What’s Ahead in 2023-24

With the 2022-23 season for Texas State Athletics in the books, the next year of competition awaits. With soccer’s home opener on August 17 and football’s first game in Bobcat Stadium with head football coach GJ Kinne on September 16, the Bobcats have the best yet to come.