RICHARDSON, Texas— Junior baseball player Chris Benavidez and sophomore women's golfer Brooke Yount have been named the 2025-26 UT Dallas Student-Athletes of the Year award recipients.

The UTD Student-Athletes of the Year are voted on by the Comet athletics coaching staff and administration and selected from a group of Most Valuable Players from each of the department's 15 varsity sports. This is the 23rd year of the honor.

Benavidez, an outfielder from Bryan, Texas, was the Lone Star Conference Newcomer of the Year and All-LSC First Team selection while also earning All-South Central First Team honors from both the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and American Baseball Coaches Association. He hit .418 (66-for-158) with 42 runs, 15 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 49 RBI, 35 walks, 11 hits by pitch, four sacrifice flies and three stolen bases. Benavidez also had a .715 slugging percentage and a .538 on-base percentage for a 1.253 OPS. He ranked second in the LSC in average, slugging and OPS, third in OBP and seventh in home runs. His performance helped the Comets to a 33-17 record and fourth-place finish in the LSC.

Sophomore cross country/track & field athlete Alez Bozhilov was the runner-up in voting, followed by redshirt freshman soccer player Callum Thompson. Other nominees for the men were senior Matthew Soto (basketball), senior Tyler Durden (golf) and senior Benjamin Dubois (tennis). 

Yount, from League City, Texas, was the individual medalist at the LSC Championship, winning the tournament with a school record three-round score of 209 and a program-best 66 in the final round. She earned All-LSC First Team and All-Tournament Team honors. Yount averaged 75.78 shots per round while making 52 birdies and a school record five eagles. She helped the Comets to a sixth-place finish at the LSC Championship.

Junior soccer player Gabby Thompson was second in voting, followed by basketball player Umi Otsuka. Other nominees for the UTD women included sophomore Alexia Callahan (cross country/track & field), freshman Saniya Bosby (track & field), freshman Jane Burkhardt (volleyball), freshman Sheryl Gerald (tennis) and senior Avery Martin (softball).

Yount is the fourth consecutive women's golfer to win the award. Benavidez is the sixth baseball player to be honored. 

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A full list of the all-time UTD Male and Female Student-Athlete of the Year honorees is listed 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
2017-18	Barry Casey, Baseball
2018-19	Dimitrius Underwood, Basketball
2019-20	Hans Burwitz, Basketball
2020-21	Dimitrius Underwood, Basketball
2021-22	Ramon Garza, Baseball
2022-23	Daniel Shofner, Golf
2023-24	Donovan Souter, Basketball
2024-25	Trent McCown, Baseball
2025-26	Chris Benavidez, 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	Taylor Toso, Volleyball
2014-15	Madi Hess, Basketball
2015-16	Kayla Jordan, Volleyball
2016-17	Michelle Toro, Volleyball
2017-18	Lindsey Rayborn, Cross Country
2018-19	Melissa Livermore, Softball
2019-20	Raenett Hughes, Basketball
2020-21	Kathy Joseph, Tennis
2021-22	Samantha Wong, Tennis
2022-23	Karen Alvarez, Golf
2023-24	Karen Lee, Golf
2024-25	Sofia Trevino, Golf
2025-26	Brooke Yount, Golf