IRVING — Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod named the 14 recipients of the Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship on Monday and former UTSA soccer player Kauwela Neal was one of the honorees. The conference annually awards the $4,000 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes selected by the C-USA Faculty Athletics Representatives and approved by the Board of Directors.
Neal lettered four years for the Roadrunners as a forward, serving as team captain during her senior campaign. A kinesiology/athletic medicine major, she graduated with a GPA of 3.83 and was a three-time recipient of the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal. Neal, who hails from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, had spent summers volunteering at a physical therapy clinic in her home state. She has been accepted to Chapman University's Doctor of Physical Therapy program and will begin her studies this August.
This is the eighth year the award has been named for Dr. Castañeda, who served Rice University for 46 years as an educator, coach and faculty athletics representative before passing away in November 2008.
2016 Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients
Alexis Betancourt, Charlotte
Rachel Engle, Western Kentucky
Diamond Every, Louisiana Tech
Jack Hopkins, Marshall
Edwin Logan Teal, Old Dominion
Derek Moise, Florida Atlantic
Nayara Moraes, Middle Tennessee
Kauwela Neal, UTSA
Mary Pursell, Southern Miss
Elaine Simon, UAB
Kedron Sowells, North Texas
Robin Spiegel, FIU
Cameasha Turner, UTEP
Solomiya Zinko, Rice
