POINT CLEAR, Ala. – University of South Alabama student-athletes Jan-Louw Kotze and Kristian Foster were recognized Sunday at the Sun Belt Conference Honors Reception as part of the league's annual spring meeting.

Kotze was one of two recipients of the Sun Belt Postgraduate Scholar Athlete-of-the-Year Award — earning a $6,500 scholarship toward his postgraduate education — while Foster was the Jaguars' representative on the conference's Leadership Team.

A native of Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa, Kotze earned his degree from South this semester with a 4.00 cumulative grade-point average while majoring in both exercise science and psychology.  During his final outdoor season in the spring of 2016, he was presented the Elite 90 Award at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship before going on to become a first-team All-American in the discus at the meet.  He was a four-time winner of the event at the Sun Belt Championship during his career, qualifying for the NCAA East Regional Preliminary Round each year, while also garnering honorable mention All-America recognition as a junior.

Kotze was voted first-team academic all-district each of the last three years by the College Sports Information Directors of America, going on to receive third-team Academic All-America honors in 2015 before being named first-team Academic All-America last season.  He was a member of the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner's List each of the last four years as well, while serving on USA's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee from 2015-17 and volunteering at numerous community service events in his time as a Jaguar.

Foster — a junior from Pelham, Ala. — was a second-team all-league honoree this spring at shortstop after helping the Jag softball program to a 35-20 mark, batting .299 with three home runs and a team-high 38 runs batted in while starting all 55 contests.  She was named to three all-tournament teams the opening month of the season, while off the field she has recorded a 3.80 grade-point average as an exercise science major and was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American Scholar Athlete and to the SBC Commissioner's List following the 2016 campaign.

Also a member of the SAAC, Foster has completed multiple missions in the offseason and has contributed to a number of community service efforts including with the Ronald McDonald House, Operation Christmas Child and Soles4Souls.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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