Collin College Athletes Honored For Athletics, Academics

Collin College athletes and coaches were recently honored for their work on the court and in the classroom during the 2023-24 season.

On the national stage, Waiata Jennings, a sophomore basketball player originally from Rotorua, New Zealand, was named the 2024 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Two-Year College Player of the Year. Jennings, who ranked second in the nation in total points scored (715) and fifth in points per game (21.7), was also named to the WBCA national team last year.

Four athletes were named to the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference (NTJCAC) All-Academic Team. Each honoree has completed at least three semesters of college work with a minimum of 36 hours of courses that lead to a degree while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or greater. The student athletes participated in a least one season on the varsity level and lettered in tennis.

 

All-Conference Academic Team 
Zebadiah Collins of Highland Village – Men’s Tennis
Siddharth Desai of San Francisco, California – Men’s Tennis
Ekaterina Orlova of Moscow, Russia – Women’s Tennis
Payton Chism of Mount Pleasant – Men’s Basketball

 

The NTJCAC and NJCAA Region V also awarded their conference and regional team honors in conjunction with the Region V tournament. Both of Collin College’s basketball teams competed in the tournament, with the Lady Cougars taking the regional title for the first time in school history. This year’s honorees, including both team coaches who were named Coach of the Year, are listed below.

 

NJCAA Region V and NTJCAC Women’s Basketball Awards 2023-2024
Jennings – All-Region V; Region V All-Tournament Team; All-Conference; Player of the Year
Mackenzie Buss of Lake Dallas – All-Region V; Region V All-Tournament Most Valuable Player; All-Conference
Alisha Nunley of Euless – All-Conference; Region V All-Tournament Team
Kennadi Archibald of Grapevine – All-Conference Honorable Mention
Nyapar Mathot of Anchorage, Alaska – All-Conference Honorable Mention
Co-Coach of the Year – Jeff Allen

 

NJCAA Region V and NTJCAC Men’s Basketball Awards 2023-2024
Xavier Williams of Plano – All-Region V; All-Conference
T.J. Thomas of Memphis, Tennessee – All-Conference
Kameron Johnson of Miami, Florida – Second Team All-Conference
Zay Okoh of Mount Pleasant – Second Team All-Conference
Matt Lewis of Houston – All-Conference Honorable Mention
Coach of The Year – Jim Sigona

 

Collin College serves more than 58,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 200 degrees and certificates, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity, a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Construction Management, and a new Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Clinical Operations Management. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government, and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. For more information, visit www.collin.edu.