RICHARDSON, Texas - UT Dallas student-athlete Justin Ardis was selected as the 2022-23 American Southwest Conference Fred Jacoby Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year the league announced Wednesday.

The ASC Fred Jacoby Sportsmanship Award honors each year a male and female student-athlete who best display attributes of sportsmanship, leadership, citizenship and academic integrity in his or her athletic, academic and life pursuits. The conference Directors of Athletics present the annual awards.

Ardis, a cross country and track & field athlete from Katy, Texas, was the overall male recipient from the 10 overall sport winners across the league. At a race last fall, an athlete on the Comets' cross country team had an asthma attack during the race. Ardis ran by this individual and saw that he was having trouble breathing. He stopped his race to get spectator's attention in order to get this individual medical attention and stayed with the athlete for about a minute. After seeing that people were coming to help his teammate, Ardis finished the race.  By stopping, Ardis sacrificed his own time to make sure his teammate received the necessary help.

Also among the individual sport winners from UTD that were eligible for the Fred Jacoby Sportsmanship award included - James Curtis of men's basketball - and on the women's side - Suzuka Nishino of women's tennis and Catherine Croft from volleyball.

Ardis is the first male and fourth overall student-athlete from UT Dallas to receive the award. He joins Nishino from last season, Rachel Kahler from cross country and track & field in 2020-21 and Krissy Seaman from volleyball in 2008-09.

ASC Fred Jacoby Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year