ORLANDO – As announced by the American Athletic Conference Wednesday, the UCF Knights saw six student-athletes awarded major postseason conference academic honors.
Shannon Doherty (softball), Jason Johnson (football), Rayniah Jones (women’s indoor track and field), Marie Mattel (women’s tennis), McKenna Melville (volleyball) and Latasha Smith (women’s outdoor track and field) were each named The American’s Scholar-Athletes of the Year for their respective sports, and each will receive a $2,000 scholarship in accompaniment of their recognition.
Doherty and Jones receive their respective honors after both earned the highest award that can be bestowed upon a student at UCF, the Order of Pegasus, during the 2022-23 academic calendar for their performance in the areas of academic achievement, outstanding university involvement, leadership, and community service.
On the field, Doherty enjoyed another strong season as UCF softball’s starting first baseman, slugging nine home runs to go along with a .268/.394/.451 (44-for-164) slashline. Her 38 RBI marked a season-high, and her nine long balls pushed her career total to 29, ranking fourth-most in program history. She also received AAC All-Conference First Team honors for the first time in her four-year tenure for her efforts.
Jones was also named a USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete in recognition of her work in the classroom, and the rising senior produced a dominant showing at the conference championships in May, claiming the top spot in the 60-meter hurdles, 100-meter hurdles and the 100-meter dash.
She etched her name into the Knights record books as well, breaking the program record in the 100-meter hurdles with her 12.63-second finish time at the East Coast Relays.
Melville completed her UCF career as one of the most decorated student-athletes in Knights history. Among her career accolades, she was awarded unanimous AAC Player of the Year honors for the third consecutive season after leading the conference in kills (573), points (636) and points per set (6.12), and became the first in program history to be named an AVCA First Team All-American.
Johnson was tabbed an All-AAC First Team selection in a coaches vote and by Phil Steele after starting each of the Knights’ 14 games. He recorded a team-high 126 tackles, ranking 31st in the country and third in The American with an even nine per game, and he wreaked havoc on the defensive side throughout the year.
He made five tackles and added one forced fumble and one fumble recovery against Tulane in the AAC Championship Game, and logged seven tackles and one quarterback hit against Duke in the Military Bowl.
Smith joins Jones as a standout performer on and off the field for the Knights track and field squad, also earning USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete honors. She finished first in the 200-meter and 400-meter dash at the AAC Outdoor Championships, breaking the program record in the 200-meter dash with a 22.09-second finish time.
Mattel’s honor comes in addition to her selections as an ITA Scholar-Athlete and a member of the AAC All-Conference Team. This season, she earned the second of her back-to-back NCAA Singles Championship appearances as the highest-ranked singles player in the conference and she was ranked as high as No. 29 in doubles and No. 30 in singles in the nation during the 2023 spring slate.