IRVING – Three Rice athletes were honored as American Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year with Amelie Attenborough (women’s cross country), Darya Schwartzman (women’s tennis) and Mckyla Van der Westhuizen (women’s outdoor track and field) all earning the honor for their respective sports, AAC Commissioner Tim Pernetti announced Tuesday morning.
Attenborough finished 24th at the American Cross Country Championships and later secured a top 100 finish at the NCAA South Central Regional in 77th. She was part of Rice’s DMR team that placed first at the American Indoor meet, while also placing sixth in the mile. Attenborough closed the year with an eighth-place finish in the 1500m at the American Outdoor Championships. She has two conference titles and four all-conference honors over her career.
Attenborough has earned conference academic honors each season, including being named a CSC Academic All-District honoree last season. Double majoring in bioscience and kinesiology, Attenborough holds a 3.96 GPA.
Schwartzman had a career year on the courts, including reaching 33rd in the ITA Doubles rankings with partner Fernanda Martinez, reaching that mark by defeating the then-7th-ranked duo in the nation from Pepperdine. She played the majority of the season at the No. 1 position for the Owls, finishing the year with an 11-7 singles record, the most singles victories in a season in her career, and a 15-7 doubles record this season, and earned a spot on the American All-Conference team for her efforts this previous season.
In her academic pursuits, Schwartzman earned her second CSC Academic All-District honor, currently carrying a GPA of 3.84 into her senior year. She was named a Rice Scholar Athlete this year and is a three-time ITA Scholar Athlete.
Van der Westhuizen collected her third athletic All-American honor this season, finishing seventh in the javelin at the NCAA Championships. The honor marked back-to-back First Team All-American honors for Van der Westhuizen, finishing third in 2024. She also defended her conference title at the AAC Championships, earning her third All-Conference honor. Van der Westhuizen was named the Rice’s Joyce Pounds Hardy Award winner for the 2024-25 athletic year.
Van der Westhuizen currently holds a 3.77 GPA, majoring in sports medicine. She was a 2024 CSC Academic Second Team All-American, while also being named a 2024 AAC All-Academic and a 2023 USTFCCA All-Academic.
Attenborough finished 24th at the American Cross Country Championships and later secured a top 100 finish at the NCAA South Central Regional in 77th. She was part of Rice’s DMR team that placed first at the American Indoor meet, while also placing sixth in the mile. Attenborough closed the year with an eighth-place finish in the 1500m at the American Outdoor Championships. She has two conference titles and four all-conference honors over her career.
Attenborough has earned conference academic honors each season, including being named a CSC Academic All-District honoree last season. Double majoring in bioscience and kinesiology, Attenborough holds a 3.96 GPA.
Schwartzman had a career year on the courts, including reaching 33rd in the ITA Doubles rankings with partner Fernanda Martinez, reaching that mark by defeating the then-7th-ranked duo in the nation from Pepperdine. She played the majority of the season at the No. 1 position for the Owls, finishing the year with an 11-7 singles record, the most singles victories in a season in her career, and a 15-7 doubles record this season, and earned a spot on the American All-Conference team for her efforts this previous season.
In her academic pursuits, Schwartzman earned her second CSC Academic All-District honor, currently carrying a GPA of 3.84 into her senior year. She was named a Rice Scholar Athlete this year and is a three-time ITA Scholar Athlete.
Van der Westhuizen collected her third athletic All-American honor this season, finishing seventh in the javelin at the NCAA Championships. The honor marked back-to-back First Team All-American honors for Van der Westhuizen, finishing third in 2024. She also defended her conference title at the AAC Championships, earning her third All-Conference honor. Van der Westhuizen was named the Rice’s Joyce Pounds Hardy Award winner for the 2024-25 athletic year.
Van der Westhuizen currently holds a 3.77 GPA, majoring in sports medicine. She was a 2024 CSC Academic Second Team All-American, while also being named a 2024 AAC All-Academic and a 2023 USTFCCA All-Academic.
