SAN MARCOS, TX — The Texas State University Athletic Department, in conjunction with Leo and Kristi Seitz, announced the following student-athletes as recipients of the 2024 Leo John Seitz V Heart of a Champion Scholarship: Megan Kelnar (softball), Mady Soumare (women's soccer), Marine Griffaut (women's golf), Ryann Torres (volleyball), Brooke Bentke (volleyball), Sophie Childs (volleyball), Kasper Nyland (men's golf) and Shedrack Akpeki (men's track).
 
The Leo John Seitz V Heart of a Champion endowment was created in 2011 by Leo and Kristi Seitz to honor the memory of their son, Leo John Seitz V. The endowment provides summer school scholarships for Texas State student-athletes who exhibit perseverance, hard work, and the Heart of a Champion.
 
"These athletes exemplify Texas State's spirit and the true essence of the Heart of a Champion through their dedication in the classroom and their determination in their sports," said Texas State Director of Athletics, Don Coryell. "We are deeply grateful to Leo and Kristi Seitz for honoring their son's legacy by investing in the future of our student-athletes. Thanks to their generous support, these eight remarkable athletes are poised to achieve great things both academically and athletically."
 
Kelnar is a catcher from Kyle, Texas and majoring in exercise and sports science. She was part of the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Tournament and winning side with Texas State softball. She and her team also made the program's 12th NCAA tournament appearance. Kelnar made 36 appearances this season before suffering an injury that would have her miss the end of the season. She tallied 17 hits, four for extra bases, and nine RBI prior to her injury. 
 
Soumare was a sophomore on the women's soccer team where she played in 18 matches while tallying four goals and one assist. Three of her four goals were match winners this season. She was a member of the 2023 College Sports Communicators All-District team, an award given to student athletes for excelling in the classroom and on the field.
 
Griffaut was a senior on the 2024 Sun Belt Championship winning women's golf team. She is a three-time All-Conference team member and played in seven tournaments for the Bobcats on their way to an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Griffaut is a mass communication major from Paris. Griffaut has also been on both the Texas State Dean's List and Sun Belt Conference Commissioner's List for her work in the classroom throughout her career.
 
Torres is a senior on Texas State volleyball and helped the team to a first-place finish in the West Division during the 2023 season. As the starting setter throughout the team's season, she appeared in 83 sets for the team while tallying 813 assists, 47 kills and 16 service aces. Torres served as a team captain during the team's season and run to the 2023 NCAA Tournament where they earned the first at-large bid in program history. 
 
Bentke was a freshman on the 2023 Texas State Volleyball team that went to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large bid for the first time in program history. She helped the team to another 1st place finish in the Sun Belt West Division as well. Though she appeared in just nine sets, she made a big impact off the bench and excelled in the classroom.
 
Childs is a senior on Texas State volleyball for the final season of her career. She's an outside hitter from Tulsa, Oklahoma and a multiple time member of the Honor Roll and Dean's List. Childs played in 86 sets this season while having 133 kills, including a season-high 12 on her senior night versus Coastal Carolina.  She contributed 41 blocks to the Bobcats nationally ranked defense. She was part of the team's first at-large bid to the NCAA tournament in program history.
 
Nyland is a senior economics major from Denmark. He was named to the Texas State Dean's List multiple times as well as was a GCAA All-America scholar and on the Sun Belt Commissioner's List. He's a two-time Sun Belt All-Conference member.
 
Akpeki is a junior sprinter from Nigeria. He participated in the 4x100 while representing Texas State men's track at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships where the team finished with a 39.51 time. He also ran the 200 in the Sun Belt Championships where he plated 7th with a 21.55 time. He competed in five races and the indoor and outdoor championships for the Bobcats this year before making the NCAA Championships appearance. 
  
To support the Leo John Seitz V Memorial Endowed Scholarship, Bobcat nation can make a gift to the endowment here. Select "Leo John Seitz V Memorial Endowed Scholarship" in the section titled "Search for other Texas State University programs."