VALDOSTA, Ga. – Valdosta State junior men's tennis standout Luca Mack and junior softball outfielder Morgan Hill were named Male and Female Athletes of the Year, announced at the annual awards banquet Wednesday evening.  In addition to those two awards, the Student-Athlete Academic Awards also were announced as Hill also earned that honor, as did senior men's cross country standout Logan Kraus.
 
Hill, a native of Lake Park, Ga., has had an incredible career with the VSU softball program. She has done it all on the field going from a pitcher in her freshman season to now playing in the outfield. So far this season, Hill has batted an impressive .333 with 45 runs scored on 50 hits, 10 doubles, 13 home runs, 37 RBI and 15 stolen bases.
 
Her heroics on the field this season have led to many memorable moments including smashing a three-run home run against No. 18 Saint Leo to give the Blazers a 6-2 nine inning victory. Hill has displayed excellence on both the field and in the classroom. She was named GSC All-Academic in 2021 and 2022 as well as earned GSC honor roll every year since her freshman season in 2020. Hill has also been named GSC Player of the Week on multiple occasions throughout her career and was named All-GSC in 2021. 
 
Over her seasons on the softball team, she has amassed a batting average of .312 on 149 hits for 145 runs with 21 doubles, two triples, 42 home runs and 123 RBI. She has also tallied 55 stolen bases and slugged .629 in over 156 games played in a VSU uniform.
 
She also has the prestigious honor of being named President's Award for Academic Excellence and will service as banner carrier for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences for her graduation this spring.
 
Hill and the No. 22-ranked softball team close the regular season this weekend, beginning Friday at 6 p.m. versus West Florida at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park, while hosting Senior Day Saturday at 1 p.m. for a doubleheader with the Argos.
 
Mack, a native of Emmendingen, Germany, has had an amazing year for the Blazer Men's tennis team. In 2023, Mack has gone a 23-1 overall in singles with a perfect 14-0 this spring and an impressive 15-1 doubles record with teammate Rodrigo Carvalho.  He helped lead the Blazers to the program's 15^th Gulf South Conference championship title and a top-seed and hosting duties in the upcoming NCAA South Regional this weekend.
 
His excellent play on the court has helped propel the Blazers past two top-ranked teams in the nation during the season for one of the most explosive regular seasons in Blazer tennis history as the team is 17-0. Academically, Mack has been on the GSC honor roll every year since 2020 and received all-academic conference honors in 2022.
 
Mack and the Blazers open the 2023 NCAA postseason Friday at 3 p.m. at the VSU Tennis Complex versus Spring Hill College.
 
Kraus, a native of Melbourne, Fla., has been a standout for the Valdosta State men's cross country team. In 2022, he finished 37^th overall with a personal-record time of 32:35.2 for a 10K at the NCAA Division II Regional Cross Country Championships in Lakeland, Florida.  He finished the Queen City Invitational in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 23, 2022, as the top Blazer finisher, earning 17^th overall with a personal record time of 25:43.0 for an 8K. Kraus also helped Valdosta State bring home first place in the Tallahassee Cross-Country Invitational on September 17, 2022, where he finished third overall with a time of 26:24.5 in an 8K.
 
In the classroom, Kraus had a perfect 4.0 GPA with a major in Business Administration and has earned GSC honor roll every year as well as GSC All-Academic honors in 2020 and 2022.