University of Memphis Athletics
Lavin, Zych Named American Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year; Women’s Soccer and Football Programs Receive Team Awards
Jul 16, 2026 | General, Rifle, Women's Soccer
IRVING, Texas – Memphis student-athletes Finley Lavin and Gabriela Zych have been named as American Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year, the conference announced Thursday. Lavin was named the women's soccer honoree and Zych was named as the women's at-large honoree.
Memphis women's soccer and football programs also earned the American Conference Team Academic Excellence Award, recognizing the program's outstanding performance in the classroom.
Lavin receives the conference's top academic honor for a second straight year, becoming the ninth women's soccer athlete to do so in the last 13 years. The junior defender has established herself as one of the nation's premier student-athletes, pairing elite play on the pitch with exceptional academic achievement.
A two-time American Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Lavin anchored one of the nation's top defensive units during the 2025 season while helping lead Memphis to one of the best campaigns in program history. She has earned numerous national accolades throughout her career, including United Soccer Coaches First Team All-American, All-South Region First Team and All-Conference First Team the last two years.
In addition to Lavin's individual honor, women's soccer was also recognized as recipients of the American Conference Team Academic Excellence Award for the second time in as many years. The award, presented annually to the conference program with the highest cumulative grade-point average in women's soccer, has been earned by the Memphis women's soccer program in 10 of the last 13 years.
Zych, the rifle program's newest coordinator, recently finished a highly decorated career as a student-athlete with the program.
Her career accolades include being a five-time CRCA All-American, seven-time All-GARC honoree, a four-time CRCA Scholastic All-American and a recipient of the 2024 NCAA Rifle Championships Elite 90 Award.
She also recently won the 2025 USA Shooting 50m Smallbore title in both the Women's and Junior Women's Divisions, along with being a runner-up in the Junior Olympics Division.
Memphis' commitment to academic excellence was evident across the athletic department, as the Tiger football program also earned the American Conference Team Academic Excellence Award. The honor marks the second straight year the football program has received the conference's top academic team recognition.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Athletics, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Memphis women's soccer and football programs also earned the American Conference Team Academic Excellence Award, recognizing the program's outstanding performance in the classroom.
Lavin receives the conference's top academic honor for a second straight year, becoming the ninth women's soccer athlete to do so in the last 13 years. The junior defender has established herself as one of the nation's premier student-athletes, pairing elite play on the pitch with exceptional academic achievement.
A two-time American Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Lavin anchored one of the nation's top defensive units during the 2025 season while helping lead Memphis to one of the best campaigns in program history. She has earned numerous national accolades throughout her career, including United Soccer Coaches First Team All-American, All-South Region First Team and All-Conference First Team the last two years.
In addition to Lavin's individual honor, women's soccer was also recognized as recipients of the American Conference Team Academic Excellence Award for the second time in as many years. The award, presented annually to the conference program with the highest cumulative grade-point average in women's soccer, has been earned by the Memphis women's soccer program in 10 of the last 13 years.
Zych, the rifle program's newest coordinator, recently finished a highly decorated career as a student-athlete with the program.
Her career accolades include being a five-time CRCA All-American, seven-time All-GARC honoree, a four-time CRCA Scholastic All-American and a recipient of the 2024 NCAA Rifle Championships Elite 90 Award.
She also recently won the 2025 USA Shooting 50m Smallbore title in both the Women's and Junior Women's Divisions, along with being a runner-up in the Junior Olympics Division.
Memphis' commitment to academic excellence was evident across the athletic department, as the Tiger football program also earned the American Conference Team Academic Excellence Award. The honor marks the second straight year the football program has received the conference's top academic team recognition.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Athletics, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Soccer
/ Rifle
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