Three UTEP student-athletes were recently recognized with the Conference USA Scholar-Athlete Award, as announced by league commissioner Britton Banowsky

Jami Tullius (women's soccer), Mickael Hanany (men's track & field) and Keisha Walkes (women's track & field) were all so honored. The effort allowed UTEP to tie for the highest number of recipients in the conference.

Hanany, who was a repeat winner for the Miners, recently concluded a banner career. The 2008 C-USA Conference USA Outdoor Track & Field Male Athlete of the Year was national champion in the high jump with a P.R. and school-record tying 2.32m (7-7 1/4). That jump ranks tied for second on the French list and tied for ninth on the all-time collegiate list. His performance also qualified him automatically for the Olympics.

He closed out his career as an eight-time All-American and 17-time conference champion. He was named the 2008 Mountain Region Outdoor Men's Field Athlete of the Year. Hanany won the high jump and long jump at the Conference USA Championships and qualified for the NCAA meet with a second-place finish in the high jump at the NCAA Midwest Regional.

Hanany graduated with his degree in biology with above a 3.2 grade point average in December 2007 and is currently pursuing his masters in business administration

A star with the Miner soccer program from 2004-07, Tullius is the only player in school history to top the 100-point barrier (114), and holds school standard for goals (48) and match-winning strikes (13). She was a two-time all-league performer and earned mention on the all-academic squad all four years.

She was named the 2007 C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in program annals to be so honored with the distinction. Tullius had a banner senior season, leading UTEP's prolific offense with 13 goals and eight assists for 34 point.

Tullius graduated with a degree in engineering in May with above a 3.8 gpa. She was named to the Dean’s list each year at UTEP and in 2005 was named ESPN the magazine Academic All-American Women’s Soccer University Division Second Team.

Walkes wrapped up her outstanding career as an All-American by taking seventh place at the shot put at the 2008 NCAA championships. She registered a distance of 16.37m (53-8 ½), shattering her own school record as result. Walkes, who boasted a 4.0 GPA in biology, was a two-year starter and a 2008 captain.

A second-place outcome and a pair of third-place results highlighted Walkes’ efforts during her career at the C-USA championships. Adding to her accomplishments were wins at the UTEP Invitational and the Texas Tech Invite.  

Walkes was a member of the UTEP Honor Society (2006, 2007, and 2008) and earned the C-USA Commissioner’s Medal in 2007 and 2008.