SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced its February athletes of the month for baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, softball, men’s and women’s tennis and wrestling Thursday, highlighting excellence among student-athletes during the month.


BASEBALL
Player
Stryker Brown, Georgia Southern, Sr., OF
Georgia Southern outfielder Stryker Brown hit .406 with three home runs and 16 RBIs in nine February games, helping the Eagles to a 7-2 start to the season. Brown hit safely in eight of the nine games, finishing the month on a seven-game hitting streak. The Dalton, Ga., senior had four multiple-hit games, starting with a 3-for-5 effort in a win over Georgia on Feb. 15 in which he drove in two runs. Brown was 2-for-4 with a homer and three driven in the next day as the Eagles won the series from the Bulldogs. He followed that up with a double in the Eagles’ 4-3 win over Georgia Tech on Feb. 19, then, in GSU’s four-game sweep of Maryland Eastern Shore the following weekend, Brown went 6-for-13 (.462) with two home runs and 10 RBIs. He had consecutive 2-for-4 games in the series, with a first-inning grand slam in the team’s 10-1 win on Feb. 22. Brown was named the SoCon player of the week on Feb. 24.

Others nominated: Hughston Armstrong (The Citadel), Casey Jones (Elon), Heath Quinn (Samford), Dykota Spiess (Western Carolina) and Eric Brenk (Wofford).

Pitcher
Jeremy Null, Western Carolina, Jr., RHP
Western Carolina right-hander Jeremy Null went 2-0 with a 0.41 ERA in three February starts. Null opened the season with a win over No. 2 Mississippi State on Feb. 14, striking out 12 and allowing just three hits in eight innings as the Catamounts shocked the Bulldogs, 3-2. The Claremont, N.C., native earned national player-of-the week honors from several organizations and SoCon pitcher of the week honors after that performance. Null followed that outing with another marquee win, this time shutting down Pac-12 foe Washington State on Feb. 21, allowing one run on five hits in seven innings, striking out six. In his final start of the month, Null did not allow a run on three hits in seven innings against La Salle on Feb. 28, striking out seven. He did not factor into the decision. For the month, the SoCon Preseason Pitcher of the Year allowed just 11 hits and struck out 25 batters in 22 innings of work. He allowed just one extra-base hit in February, a double against Washington State.

Others nominated: Skylar Hunter (The Citadel), Nick Neitzel (Davidson), Jake Stalzer (Elon), Sam Howard (Georgia Southern), Alex Ledford (Samford) and Eric Eck (Wofford).


MEN’S BASKETBALL
Lucas Troutman, Elon, Sr., F
Elon forward Lucas Troutman averaged 18.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game in February, helping the Phoenix to a 7-1 month. The Belton, S.C., native scored in double figures in all seven games in which he played, reaching 20 points in four of them, including each of the last three. He started the month with 21 points in a win at Appalachian State on Feb. 1, shooting 80 percent from the floor (8-for-10). Troutman had 13 points in a win against UNCG and notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Samford on Feb. 15. He narrowly missed another with 13 points and nine boards at UNCG four days later. Troutman ended his month on a high note, scoring 20 points at Georgia Southern before capping the month with back-to-back 23-point outings against Furman and Wofford. Troutman also blocked 16 shots in the month, swatting four each against Georgia Southern and Wofford and recording at least one block in six of his seven contests. For the month, he shot 58 percent from the floor (51-for-88) and 71.1 percent from the free-throw line (27-for-38). He was the SoCon player of the week on Feb. 25.

Others nominated: Tommy Spagnolo (Appalachian State), Ashton Moore (The Citadel), De’Mon Brooks (Davidson), Jelani Hewitt (Georgia Southern), Kyle Cain (UNCG), Tim Williams (Samford), Z. Mason (Chattanooga), Brandon Boggs (Western Carolina) and Karl Cochran (Wofford).


WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Maryah Sydnor, Appalachian State, Jr., F
Appalachian State forward Maryah Sydnor repeated as player of the month after averaging a double-double in February with 16.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game to help the Mountaineers to a 5-3 mark. Sydnor scored in double figures in seven of the eight contests and had at least 10 rebounds in six of them, turning in six double-doubles in eight tries. Sydnor scored at least 20 points four times, starting with a 20-point, 13-rebound effort against Wofford on Feb. 1. She had 14 points and 10 rebounds against Furman and pulled down 14 rebounds to complement 11 points against Samford. She surpassed the 20-point plateau again against UNCG, scoring 22, before notching 21 points and 12 boards against Elon. She wrapped up her month with two more double-doubles, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds at Georgia Southern before scoring 24 points and pulling down 11 rebounds and playing all 45 minutes in an overtime road win over Davidson on Feb. 24. Sydnor, a junior from Radford, Va., also shot 81.3 percent from the free-throw line in February, hitting 39 of her 48 attempts.

Others nominated: Laura Murray (Davidson), Kelsey Harris (Elon), Brittany Hodges (Furman), Taylor Hall (Chattanooga), Christy Robinson (Samford), Justin Taylor (Western Carolina) and Jordan Frazier (Wofford).


MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Track
Jamaal Brantley, The Citadel, Sr.
Citadel senior Jamaal Brantley earned indoor track athlete of the month honors for several outstanding finishes in February. The Summerville, S.C., native was named the most outstanding track performer at the SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships after scoring wins in the 60-meter dash (6.82 seconds) and the 200-meter dash (21.97), setting new school records in both events. The SoCon track athlete of the week on Feb. 26, Brantley took the honor after turning in a personal-best time of 6.44 to win the 55-meter at the USC Gamecock Open. Earlier in the month, he turned in a then-career-best time of 22.03 in the 200-meter at the Armory Collegiate Invitational.

Field
Jared Johnson, Western Carolina, So.
Western Carolina thrower Jared Johnson earned the indoor field athlete of the month award after helping the Catamounts to the team title at the SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships. The sophomore from Fayetteville, Ga., won a pair of individual titles, claiming the shot put with a season-best throw of 15.51 meters and the weight throw with a toss of 18.18m, shattering his previous career best of 16.85m. He was named the meet’s most outstanding field performer for his efforts. Johnson also posted a pair of top-10 finishes in the throws at the Bob Pollock Classic and competed in the Cupid Invitational earlier in February.


WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Track
Breanna Alston, Appalachian State, Sr.
Appalachian State senior Breanna Alston earned indoor track athlete of the month honors after helping the Mountaineers to a runner-up finish at the SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships and being named the meet’s most outstanding athlete and most outstanding track performer. The Greensboro, N.C., native turned in five top-three finishes at the meet, highlighted by her win in the 200-meter dash in 24.42 seconds. Alston also finished second in the distance medley relay and the 4x400-meter relay and third in the long jump and the 60-meter. Earlier in the month, Alston broke her own Holmes Center record in the 200-meter with a time of 24.28 seconds at the Mountaineer Open.

Field
Ashley Cope, Samford, Sr.
Samford senior Ashley Cope earned her second straight monthly honor after being named the most outstanding field performer at the SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships and helping Samford to a fourth-place finish at the meet. The Juliette, Ga., native won the Bulldogs’ first individual title of the meet, taking the pentathlon with 3,461 points. She was the top finisher in the pentathlon long jump (5.6 meters) and 60-meter hurdles (8.83 seconds). Cope also competed in Samford’s 4x400-meter relay and the 60-meter hurdles and pole vault, turning in top-five finishes in each. Earlier in the month, Cope won the pentathlon at the Samford Multi & Invitational, placing in the top 10 in each event to tally a school-record 3,653 points. Her mark was also the best in the SoCon for the season and earned her SoCon field athlete of the week honors for Feb. 12.


SOFTBALL
Player
Emily Cameron, Elon, So., UT
Elon utility player Emily Cameron hit .390 with two doubles and six home runs in February, leading the Phoenix to an 8-5-1 record. The sophomore from Kennesaw, Ga., hit safely in 11 of Elon’s 14 games in the month, turning in four multiple-hit contests. At the season-opening Charleston Southern Tournament on Feb. 8-9, Cameron went 6-for-11 with four home runs and 10 RBIs to earn the first SoCon player of the week honor of the season. She was 1-for-2 with a three-run homer against Maryland Eastern Shore on the first day of the season and followed that up by going 2-for-2 with a homer and three RBIs against UMES and 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBIs against Charleston Southern the next day. She added homers against Bethune-Cookman and Iona later in the month, going 2-for-3 with two runs and three driven in against the Gaels on Feb. 23 at the Phoenix Opening Tournament. The day prior, Cameron was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored against UMBC. For the month, Cameron scored 12 runs and drove in 16 and committed just one error in 18 chances.

Others nominated: Cara Parker (Appalachian State), Shelby Morrill (Georgia Southern), Abby Adams (Samford), Anyssa Robles (Chattanooga) and Taylor Sigmon (Western Carolina).

Pitcher
Sarah Purvis, Georgia Southern, Sr., RHP
Georgia Southern senior Sarah Purvis went 4-2 with a 1.08 ERA and 43 strikeouts in six February starts. The right-hander opened her season against No. 1 Tennessee on Feb. 8, striking out 10 and allowing just one earned run on four hits in the 1-0 loss. She picked up her first win of the season the following day, striking out six in a win over Northern Colorado, en route to earning the first SoCon pitcher of the week award of the season. Purvis shut out Wisconsin on Feb. 14, throwing a six-hitter and striking out eight, and picked up a 6-2 win over Florida Gulf Coast the next day. She struck out seven in a road loss to Florida International before closing the month with eight strikeouts in a five-hit shutout of Coastal Carolina. Purvis walked just 11 batters against her 43 strikeouts in the month and was named the league’s pitcher of the week twice in February.

Others nominated: Chelsea White (Elon), Lauren Collier (Furman) and Taylor Deason (Chattanooga).


MEN’S TENNIS
Randy Phillips, UNCG, Jr.
UNCG junior Randy Phillips went a combined 9-0 in February, winning all five of his singles matches at No. 3 and going 4-0 in doubles play at No. 1 to help the Spartans to a 5-0 month. The Snellville, Ga., native dropped just one set in singles play in the month as the Spartans rolled to 7-0 wins over North Carolina Central, USC Upstate, UNC Asheville and Gardner-Webb before closing the month with a 4-3 win over Campbell. Phillips picked up straight-sets wins against NCCU’s Tamina Kienka, Upstate’s Gonzalo Bianco and UNCA’s Alex Croker, dropping just seven combined games against the trio, before losing his only set of the month, 4-6 to GWU’s Ernest Alberch. He rebounded with a 6-4 win of his own in the second set before picking up the 10-6 win in the super tiebreaker. After UNCG dropped the doubles point against the Camels on Feb. 26, Phillips quickly pulled the Spartans even, wrapping up his 6-3, 6-2 win over Rik Van Gerwen first to knot the team score at 1. In doubles play, Phillips partnered with James Dougherty for wins at the top flight against NCCU, USC Upstate, UNCA and Gardner-Webb, highlighted by a 6-0 win over N.C. Central’s top duo.

Others nominated: Daniel Hoang (Appalachian State), Connor Evins (Davidson), Jordan Kaufman (Elon), Adam Steryous (Furman), Gino Delavalle (Chattanooga) and Haris Poric (Wofford).


WOMEN’S TENNIS
Stephanie N’tcha, Samford, Jr.
Samford junior Stephanie N’tcha went 3-0 in singles play and 3-1 in doubles play in February, helping the Bulldogs to a 3-1 team mark. The Abomey-Calavi, Benin, native opened her month with a 6-3, 6-3 win over UTSA’s Miriam Canudas at No. 2 singles before moving up to No. 1 against Jacksonville State. N’tcha gutted out a 7-6 (8-4), 5-7, 1-0 win over the Gamecocks’ Raisa Guasti and capped her month of singles play with another three-set win, this time taking down UAB’s Amy Lowther 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. In doubles play, she teamed with three different partners in four matches. Her lone loss in February came at the No. 2 flight with teammate Carita Moolman to No. 60 Michala Kucharova and Reka Muller of 21st-ranked Auburn, 8-3. N’tcha paired with Jessica Northcutt twice, with the dual cruising to an 8-1 win over UTSA’s No. 2 doubles duo and an 8-3 win over UAB’s second pair. N’tcha moved up to No. 1 doubles against Jacksonville State, teaming with Kristin Lewis to earn a 9-8 (8-5) win over Guasti and Olivia Nguyen. N’tcha earned the first SoCon women’s tennis player of the week award of the season on Feb. 18.

Others nominated: Mackenzie LaSure (Appalachian State), Brites Moniz-Soares (Davidson), Jordan Johnston (Elon), Ansley Speaks (Furman), Claire Mulyadi (Chattanooga) and Stacia Kissell (Western Carolina).


WRESTLING
Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, The Citadel, R-Sr., 165 pounds
The Citadel’s Turtogtokh Luvsandorj went 9-0 in February as the Bulldogs were 6-0 as a team. The 165-pounder from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, opened his month at the All-Academy Championships in New London, Conn., winning his weight class with major decisions over Merchant Marine’s Thomas Walker and VMI’s Mark Darr and a 4-2 decision over No. 17 Peyton Walsh of Navy to pace The Citadel to a second-place team finish. Luvsandorj followed that up with another ranked win, taking down No. 17 Austin Trott of Gardner-Webb, 6-3, in the first of The Citadel’s four league dual wins in the month. Luvsandorj downed Darr again on Feb. 9 before earning a sudden-victory win over North Carolina’s John Michael Staudenmayer on Feb. 16. His win put The Citadel on top of the Tar Heels for the first time on the afternoon as The Citadel beat UNC for just the fifth time in school history, 19-18. Luvsandorj became the Bulldogs’ all-time wins leader later in the day, topping Duke’s Marcus Cain for his 126th career win to cap his Senior Day. Luvsandorj downed SIUE’s Matt Lester and put the exclamation point on his February with a pin of Campbell’s Grant Blumenthal on Feb. 22 as the Bulldogs wrapped up their perfect dual month. He was the SoCon wrestler of the week on Feb. 12 and finished the regular season 33-5 overall and 14-0 in dual action.

Other nominees: Dylan Cottrell (Appalachian State), Eloheim Palma (Campbell), Anthony Elias (Davidson), Matt Lester (SIUE) and Dawson Peck (Chattanooga).

Fans can go to the Southern Conference's official Facebook page and vote for their #SoConFANChoice athlete of the month.

Southern Conference February Athletes of the Month
Baseball – Player    Stryker Brown, Georgia Southern
Baseball – Pitcher    Jeremy Null, Western Carolina
Men’s Basketball    Lucas Troutman, Elon
Women’s Basketball    Maryah Sydnor, Appalachian State
Men’s Indoor Track and Field – Track    Jamaal Brantley, The Citadel
Men’s Indoor Track and Field – Field    Jared Johnson, Western Carolina
Women’s Indoor Track and Field – Track    Breanna Alston, Appalachian State
Women’s Indoor Track and Field – Field    Ashley Cope, Samford
Softball – Player    Emily Cameron, Elon
Softball – Pitcher    Sarah Purvis, Georgia Southern
Men’s Tennis    Randy Phillips, UNCG
Women’s Tennis    Stephanie N’tcha, Samford
Wrestling    Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, The Citadel