SACE May Champions of the Month
5/29/2024 3:01:00 PM | Student-Athlete Center for Excellence, Champions of the Month
Student-Athletes from Men’s Basketball, Football, Women’s Basketball and Acrobatics & Tumbling selected as May Champions of the Month
WACO, Texas – Yves Missi (men's basketball), Jadon Porter (football), Kyla Abraham (women's basketball) and Riley Chimwala (acrobatics & tumbling) have been selected as the Student-Athlete Center for Excellence (SACE) May Champions of the Month.
This award recognizes student-athletes who achieve their personal bests in the areas of academic achievement, athletic success, character formation and spiritual growth.
Each of these student-athletes was nominated by a SACE team member based upon their embodiment of each of the four pillars.
Named to the Big 12 Freshman and Big 12 All-Defensive Team, Missi averaged 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in his lone season at Baylor before declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft. "Being a student-athlete at Baylor means a lot to me, especially with the support we have each and every day on and off the court," he said. "It's crazy how playing for this fanbase makes you so proud of being a Baylor Bear, and I'll never forget these memories."
A freshman 7-footer from Yaounde, Cameroon, Yves "has the same drive in the classroom that he has possessed on the court," said Josh Young, Assistant AD for Academic Services. "We are extremely proud of him for declaring for the NBA Draft. If he would have planned on staying at Baylor, he would have been able to add Academic All-American to all his other accolades."
Porter, a first-semester freshman from nearby Lorena, Texas, is a four-star recruit who amassed career numbers of 178 catches for 3,451 yards and 32 touchdowns in four seasons with the Leopards. "Being an athlete at Baylor, to me, means I have a job to do," he said. "Get better in each aspect of life and keep Baylor great."
Lauren Kirby, Assistant AD for Learning Support, said Jadon "has done an amazing job this semester jumping in as a mid-year (enrollee). He has stayed organized and ahead on his assignments, and he has utilized resources to ensure he is successful. Jadon shows up to Highers with a smile on his face and is willing to do whatever is asked of him to succeed."
Abraham, a sophomore from Carrollton, Va., majoring in health, kinesiology and leisure studies, "has had a great academic semester," said Quentin Hendershot, Associate Director of Academic Services. "She has been engaged in her courses and tutoring appointments. She has grown and matured immensely this semester despite having a few challenges in her path."
Ranked No. 10 in her position coming out of Smithfield High School, Abraham missed most of the season after playing in four of the Bears' first eight games, but she scored a career-high 10 points in a win over McNeese State. "I'm very grateful to have the community and support behind me academically," she said, "who believe in me and push me to be my best every year."
A four-time All-American, Chimwala was named the NCATA Division I Athlete of the Year and led the A&T team to its ninth-consecutive NCATA national championship. "Being a student-athlete at Baylor has been nothing short of incredible," she said. "The constant support from coaches, staff and other athletes has empowered me to flourish academically and athletically."
Riley graduated in May with a 3.78 cumulative GPA in communications, completing an internship with Baylor Athletics marketing and fan engagement. The Plano, Texas, native also won individual national championships in Six-Element Acro, Five-Element Acro, Inversion Pyramid and 450 Salto Toss.
This award recognizes student-athletes who achieve their personal bests in the areas of academic achievement, athletic success, character formation and spiritual growth.
Each of these student-athletes was nominated by a SACE team member based upon their embodiment of each of the four pillars.
Named to the Big 12 Freshman and Big 12 All-Defensive Team, Missi averaged 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in his lone season at Baylor before declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft. "Being a student-athlete at Baylor means a lot to me, especially with the support we have each and every day on and off the court," he said. "It's crazy how playing for this fanbase makes you so proud of being a Baylor Bear, and I'll never forget these memories."
A freshman 7-footer from Yaounde, Cameroon, Yves "has the same drive in the classroom that he has possessed on the court," said Josh Young, Assistant AD for Academic Services. "We are extremely proud of him for declaring for the NBA Draft. If he would have planned on staying at Baylor, he would have been able to add Academic All-American to all his other accolades."
Porter, a first-semester freshman from nearby Lorena, Texas, is a four-star recruit who amassed career numbers of 178 catches for 3,451 yards and 32 touchdowns in four seasons with the Leopards. "Being an athlete at Baylor, to me, means I have a job to do," he said. "Get better in each aspect of life and keep Baylor great."
Lauren Kirby, Assistant AD for Learning Support, said Jadon "has done an amazing job this semester jumping in as a mid-year (enrollee). He has stayed organized and ahead on his assignments, and he has utilized resources to ensure he is successful. Jadon shows up to Highers with a smile on his face and is willing to do whatever is asked of him to succeed."
Abraham, a sophomore from Carrollton, Va., majoring in health, kinesiology and leisure studies, "has had a great academic semester," said Quentin Hendershot, Associate Director of Academic Services. "She has been engaged in her courses and tutoring appointments. She has grown and matured immensely this semester despite having a few challenges in her path."
Ranked No. 10 in her position coming out of Smithfield High School, Abraham missed most of the season after playing in four of the Bears' first eight games, but she scored a career-high 10 points in a win over McNeese State. "I'm very grateful to have the community and support behind me academically," she said, "who believe in me and push me to be my best every year."
A four-time All-American, Chimwala was named the NCATA Division I Athlete of the Year and led the A&T team to its ninth-consecutive NCATA national championship. "Being a student-athlete at Baylor has been nothing short of incredible," she said. "The constant support from coaches, staff and other athletes has empowered me to flourish academically and athletically."
Riley graduated in May with a 3.78 cumulative GPA in communications, completing an internship with Baylor Athletics marketing and fan engagement. The Plano, Texas, native also won individual national championships in Six-Element Acro, Five-Element Acro, Inversion Pyramid and 450 Salto Toss.
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