BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Ashleigh Simes and Ryan Lovelace were recognized from Lee University as the Gulf South Conference unveiled its 2024-25 Top Ten Award recipients. This year's selections represent eight member institutions and eight different sports. It also marked the first time since the 2019-20 announcement that all ten selections are first time honorees.
Ashleigh Simes, a senior on the women's tennis team, is the ninth straight Lady Flame to be recognized. Lee has had a female athlete every year since joining the GSC except for the 2015-16 season. Simes is the first tennis played from Lee and the 13^th women's tennis player all time to be recognized. Simes was the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division II National Champion this year. She was also the GSC player of the year. Simes has been a First Team All-GSC member three times and on the Second Team All-GSC her freshman year.

She was an GSC All-Academic team member, and on the honor roll three times. This year she was also a College Sports Communicators Academic All District member. Simes has a 3.62 GPA and graduated with a degree in business administration. Coach Patric Hynes is proud of the recognition for Simes. "We are all incredibly proud of Ash for this recognition. It's an enormous honor and one that is well deserved. Since she arrived here, Ash has been the model student-athlete. She combines a fantastic work ethic with a fierce desire to compete and most importantly, she is a selfless person who always puts her team in front of herself."

Ryan Lovelace is a junior on the cross country and track and field team. Lovelace is the seventh Flame to earn GSC Top Ten since the 2015-16 season. He is the first male cross-country runner for Lee to be recognized, but the third track and field athlete. Josiah Brooks was recognized twice as well as Justin Brooks. Lovelace has a 3.88 GPA in political science. He won the mile run at the GSC Indoor Championships and helped lead the Flames to a second-place finish in the Distance Medley Relay. He also came in third in the 3000-meter race. At the NCAA Championship, he came in ninth in the mile run. On the cross-country course, Lovelace was third in the GSC Championship and third at the NCAA South Region Championship. At the National Championship he was 84^th.

He helped Lee come in 16^th at the NCAA Championships, win the fourth NCAA region in a row, and third straight GSC title. He has been on the honor roll twice and was on the cross country and indoor track and field all-academic team. Coach Caleb Morgan is excited for the recognition that Lovelace has received. "Ryan has unmatched talent, relentless dedication, and a spirit that lifts everyone around him. This honor is not just about statistics or trophies; it's about the character, leadership, and integrity Ryan brings to everything he does. An incredible athlete, and remarkable person—this recognition is well-deserved and hard-earned."

Athletic Director John Maupin is proud of the recognition for Simes and Lovelace. "I love the GSC Top Ten recognition, I think it's one of the most important things the conference does.  We want to highlight student-athletes that are excelling at high level in all areas.  It is no small feat to make the GSC Top Ten.  It speaks so highly of our university that we have two candidates on that list this year.  Ryan had a tremendous year this year—on his way to becoming an All-American, but he also is a great teammate and displays a servant's heart within our athletic department year round.  Ashleigh won a National Championship this season, represents Lee Athletics well across the whole campus, and has excelled academically.  I am very proud of both, Ryan and Ashleigh, and we appreciate the Gulf South Conference for recognizing their efforts."

The award recognizes the top female and top male student-athletes for their athletic, academic, and extracurricular achievements, during the 2024-25 academic year. The one student-athlete from each group of honorees will also be awarded the Commissioner's Trophy, which is the conference's most prestigious individual honor and will be announced in-person at the GSC Awards Ceremony.
Lee University has had an athlete every year since 2015 earn a top ten recognition. Lee has had six Commissioner trophy winners. Since the Flames have been a part of the GSC, Lee has had the most winners. The University of North Alabama, the University of West Georgia, and the University of West Florida each have had three winners. 

This year's group featured Alabama Huntsville's Tommy Murr (men's basketball) and Lili Wilken (women's basketball), Auburn Montgomery's Chloe Baynes (softball), Delta State's Brett Burrell (baseball), Lee's Ryan Lovelace (men's cross cross/track & field) and Ashleigh Simes (women's tennis), Trevecca Nazarene's Ashlan Sensing (softball), Valdosta State's Takeshi Taco (men's tennis), West Alabama's Marissa Mitchell (softball), and West Florida's Keegan Lynch (men's soccer).
 
It was originally top eight award from 1996 until 2004 then it became top ten. All time, UWF has nine winners, Valdosta State University has eight winners, UNA has eight winners, and Delta State University has five winners.
 
The GSC Top Ten Award recipients are selected with the assistance of an advisory committee representing Athletics Directors, Senior Woman Administrators (SWA), Athletic Communication Directors, Faculty Athletic Representatives, and Presidents from randomly selected GSC schools, which makes a recommendation to the Commissioner, who has the final decision.

For more information about each Top Ten recipient, click here. 
Honorees will be celebrated Thursday, May 29 in Pensacola, Fla., as part of the 2025 GSC Awards and Hall of Fame Ceremony presented by Caldwell Architects. The evening will be streamed at no charge, on the conference's YouTube channel.