RICHARDSON, TX (05.31.18) - Comet seniors Barry Casey and Lindsey Rayborn have been named the 2017-18 UT Dallas Student-Athletes of the Year, announced Thursday morning by the UTD Athletics Department. This marks the 15th year the department has given the awards.

Casey, a member of the Comet baseball team, and Rayborn, a member of the Comet women's cross country squad, both led their respective teams to American Southwest Conference championships during the 2017-18 academic year. Both Comets also wrapped up their careers as the most honored players in their respective sports' history.

A native of Southlake, Casey led the Comets to their first-ever ASC title and first trip to the NCAA Division III National Championship in over a decade. The ASC Player of the Year, Casey would become a consensus All-American this spring, earning first team honors by D3baseball.com and second team recognition from the ABCA. He led the Comets and ranked third in the ASC with a .435 batting average, leading the league with 62 runs batted in, and ranked second in the conference with 83 hits. A two-time ASC Player of the Week during the season, Casey closed out his senior campaign with 16 doubles, two triples and five home runs. He led the Comets to a 32-17 overall record and a 17-7 mark in ASC play, tying for second. He became UTD's first-ever two-time All-American in baseball after collecting third-team honors by the ABCA as a junior.

Casey was against a heavy field of candidates for UTD's Male Award in 2017-18, outdistancing the other five sport Most Valuable Players. Sophomore men's basketball standout Dimitrius Underwood was second in the male voting while sophomore men's tennis player Giovanni Zamboni was third. Rounding out the male field were senior Levi Pettit (men's golf), junior Alireza Nourani (men's cross country) and sophomore Mason Anderson (men's soccer).

A native of Pocatello, Idaho, Lindsey Rayborn closed out her collegiate career as the Comets' first-ever qualifier for the NCAA D-III National Championships and first ASC qualifier for the event since 2013. Rayborn collected her second straight ASC individual title this past fall as she led the Comets to their second consecutive league crown. Her time of 22:37 in the ASC Championships was the fastest-ever recorded in the six-kilometer meet. Rayborn would go on to place ninth at the NCAA D-III Regional Meet with a personal-best 6k time of 21:55, earning all-region honors for the second straight fall, to qualify for the national championships. She recorded the fastest-ever time for an ASC runner at the national meet, placing 146th with a time of 22:35. Rayborn closed her career as a four-time first team All-ASC selection and a three-time Academic All-ASC pick. She was honored as the ASC's Distinguished Scholar-Athlete for women's cross country for the second straight season.

Rayborn was also among a strong field for UTD's Female Award for 2017-18, leading the pack among the seven women's MVPs. Junior softball All-American Melissa Livermore was second in the voting while volleyball senior standout Emma Wallbrown finished third. Rounding out the women's field were junior Melissa Fulfer (women's soccer), sophomores Kathy Joseph (women's tennis) and Victoria Pena (women's basketball) and freshman Lindy Patterson (women's golf).

Casey is just the fourth Comet baseball player to claim the honor in the 15-year history of the award and first from the program since 2007-08. Rayborn is the second-ever cross country athlete to earn the women's award and first since 2004-05. A list of all-time award recipients for men and women is below.

MEN

2003-04	Anthony Adler, Baseball
2004-05	Ali Morshedi, Soccer
2005-06	Randy Black, Baseball
2006-07	Martin Salinas, Basketball
	Travis Carruthers, Basketball
2007-08	Mark Cox, Baseball
2008-09	Ernie Lowery, Basketball
2009-10	Scott Rodgers, Basketball
2010-11	Chris Barnes, Basketball
2011-12	Chris Barnes, Basketball
2012-13	Kyle Schleigh, Basketball
2013-14	Kyle Schleigh, Basketball
2014-15	Omar Jaroun, Soccer
2015-16	Jordan Rubel, Soccer
2016-17	Joseph Weber, Soccer
2016-17	Barry Casey, Baseball

WOMEN

2003-04	Candace Felts, Softball
2004-05	Angelia Wightman, Soccer/Cross Country
2005-06	Natalie Taylor, Soccer
2006-07	Theresa Buckles, Soccer
2007-08	Kelli Jackson, Soccer
2008-09	Chelsea Edwards, Basketball
2009-10	Niki Calverley, Volleyball
2010-11	Niki Calverley, Volleyball
2011-12	Leah Bowyer, Soccer
	Lyndsey Smith, Basketball
2012-13	Casey Johnson, Tennis
2013-14	Taylour Toso,Volleyball
2014-15	Madi Hess, Basketball
2015-16	Kayla Jordan, Volleyball
2016-17	Michelle Toro, Volleyball
2016-17	Lindsey Rayborn, Cross Country