GEN_2025 Stole Ceremony
Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services

All-conference picks, top 10 record holders highlight spring 2025 graduates

5/15/2025 12:55:00 PM

By: Brad Welborn, Assistant Sports Information Director
NATCHITOCHES – A slew of all-conference honorees, academic all-conference award winners and the latest entries into Northwestern State record books highlight the 60 current and former student-athletes who collected their undergraduate and graduate degrees across Wednesday and Thursday inside Prather Coliseum. 
 
Five-time all-conference honoree, three times in singles and twice in doubles, tennis' Ayu Ishibashi earned her health and exercise science degree after a four-year Demon career where she collected 44 singles wins and ranks fifth in program history with a .772 win percentage. 
 
She is joined by her fellow 2025 co-Southland Conference champion Tjasa Klevisar (health and exercise science), a 2022 singles and doubles all-conference honoree, among the graduates this semester. 
 
Demon baseball, who missed the commencement proceedings in Natchitoches due to their position in the Southland Conference Tournament, produced the most graduates (13) following the spring semester and received their diplomas in special ceremony this past Sunday. 
 
Among them is Rocco Gump (business administration), a second-team all-conference honoree this season and all-defensive selection for the Demons at third base in 2024. He is one of a handful of Demon student-athletes that were defensive stalwarts for their teams during their careers. 
 
Volleyball's Ashlyn Svoboda (general studies) finished her career as the fourth player to ever record 1,400 digs in their career and the soccer defensive duo of Alina Graf and Caroline Hilliard, both business administration majors, all received their degrees. 
 
Women's basketball's Sharna Ayres (master of science in sport administration) also earned a spot in the program record book with 205 career made 3-pointers, the fourth most by a female basketball player at NSU. 
 
Among the graduates that earned all-conference honors in their athletic careers are men's track's Tarajh Hudson (third team 2022), men's basketball's Addison Patterson (second team 2024-25), softball's Bailie Ragsdale (third team 2022) and soccer's Taylor Spitzer (first team 2024, second team 2023). 
 
Hudson also earned Freshman of the Year honors in 2022 giving the Demons two in the class with soccer's Hilliard. 
 
There were 13 total all-conference and four academic all-conference awards among this graduating class of student-athletes. 
 
Spring 2025 Athletic Graduation List (60)
Baseball (15)
1.Adam Alexis: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Concentration: Finance; Honors: Cum Laude
2.Braden Benton: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Science; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science; Honors: Honor Roll
3.Daniel Burroway: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Concentration: Finance; Honors: Cum Laude
4.James Di Prima: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Science; Major: Liberal Arts; Minor: P.E., Sport and Leisure Management; Honors: Cum Laude
5.Dawson Flowers (Director of Player Personnel/Former Student-Athlete): Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Sport Administration
6.Grayson Gates: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Honors: Honor Roll
7.Rocco Gump: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Honors: Magna Cum Laude
8.Clay Jung: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Science; Major: Liberal Arts; Minor: Business Administration; Honors: Magna Cum Laude
9.Hayden Knotts: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Accounting; Minor: Business Administration; Honors: Magna Cum Laude
10.Mason Langdon (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Concentration: Pre-Physical Therapy; Honors: Honor Roll
11.Aidan Newton: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Science; Major: Liberal Arts; Minor: Social Science; Honors: Honor Roll
12.Tyler Nichol (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Honors: Cum Laude
13.Chase Prestwich: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Concentration: Finance; Honors: Honor Roll
14.Sam Stephenson: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Honors: Honor Roll
15.Connor Wilson: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Science; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science; Honors: Magna Cum Laude
 
Men's Basketball (3)
1.Addison Patterson: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Science; Major: Liberal Arts; Minor: Social Science
2.Micah Thomas: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Science; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
3.Jatarion (J.T.) Warren: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Science; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
 
Women's Basketball (1)
1.Sharna Ayres: Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Sport Administration
 
Football (12)
1.Jeremiah Bodwin: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Science; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
2.Kareame Cotton: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Science; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
3.Kaden Garcia (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Electronics Engineering Technology; Concentration: Biomedical; Honors: Cum Laude
4.Brody Heard (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science; College: Louisiana Scholars' College; Majors: Liberal Arts and Physical Science; Concentrations: Scientific Inquiry and Chemistry; Minor: Spanish; Thesis: "Simulated Attosecond Transient Absorption Spectroscopy of Polyacetylene.  With Highest Distinction"; Honors: Summa Cum Laude 
5.Twon Hines: Master of Science; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Homeland Security
6.Ray Johnson Jr. (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science
7.Tyrell Lockett (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Industrial Engineering Technology; Honors: Honor Roll
8.Caesar Magee III: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Science; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
9.Ty Moore: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Science; Major: Liberal Arts; Minor: Social Science
10.Ara Rauls: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Concentration: Pre-Physical Therapy; Honors: Honor Roll
11.Isaiah Robinson: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Science; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
12.Jay Stroble: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Science; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science; Honors: Cum Laude
 
Soccer (6)
1.Alina Graf: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Honors: Summa Cum Laude (Perfect 4.0 GPA!)
2.Caroline Hilliard: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Honors: Honor Roll
3.Sabrina Lopez: Bachelor of Science; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Biology; Concentration: Biomedical; Honors: Honor Roll
4.Emily Mougia: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Concentration: Pre-Physical Therapy; Honors: Summa Cum Laude
5.Isabella Ruggiano: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Communication; Concentration: Strategic Communication; Minor: Biology; Honors:  Magna Cum Laude
6.Taylor Spitzer: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Communication; Concentration: Strategic Communication; Minor: Creative Writing; Honors:  Magna Cum Laude
 
Softball (1)
1.Bailee Ragsdale: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Honors: Magna Cum Laude
 
 
 
Tennis (2)
1.Ayu Ishibashi: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Honors: Summa Cum Laude
2.Tjasa Klevisar: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Concentration: Pre-Physical Therapy; Honors: Honor Roll
 
Men's Track (7)
1.Tredarius Carr (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Science; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
2.Tarajh Hudson: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Concentration: Pre-Physical Therapy; Honors: Magna Cum Laude
3.Abner Johnson: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Science; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science; Honors: Honor Roll
4.Travis Plumb (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration
5.Tahner Raphael (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science
6.Evan Wilson: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Concentration: Marketing; Honors: Magna Cum Laude
7.Tavis Wilson: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Liberal Arts; Minor: Social Science
 
Women's Track (6)
1.Kahliyah Anderson: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Science; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
2.Bernesha Knowles: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology; Honors: Honor Roll
3.Dynia Lewis-Plummer: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Science; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science; Honors: Honor Roll
4.Carnitra Mackey: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology; Concentration: Substance Abuse; Honors: Honor Roll
5.Leah Thompson: Bachelor of Science; College: Arts and Sciences; Double Major: Music (Concentration: Music Business) and Biology (Concentration: Biomedical); Honors: Magna Cum Laude (Of note, she sang the National Anthem at the first graduation ceremony on Wednesday morning)
6.Tahisha Thompson Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology; Honors: Honor Roll
 
Volleyball (3)
1.Amina Attra: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Addiction Studies
2.Perry Flannigan (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Biology; Concentration: Natural Science
3.Ashlyn Svoboda: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Science; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Biology; Honors: Honor Roll
 
Administration (4)
1.Dajuan Bennett (Graduated Assistant/Strength & Conditioning): Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Sport Administration
2.Paige Fontenot (Director of Marketing & Digital Media): Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Sport Administration
3.Andrew Norton (Equipment Manager/Former Football Graduate Assistant): Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Sport Administration
4.Landon Stephens (Graduate Assistant/Women's Basketball): Master of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Sport Administration
 
 
Print Friendly Version