DALLAS – Conference USA honored the 10 accomplished recipients of the Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship on Thursday. This marks the 17^th year the award has been named after Dr. Jim Castañeda, who served Rice for 46 years as an educator, coach and Faculty Athletics Representative before he passed in 2008. Every season, CUSA grants a $4,000 scholarship to distinguished graduates selected by the league’s Faculty Athletics Representatives and approved by the Conference USA Board of Directors.
 
2025 Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients
Mathys Lefebvre, FIU, Men’s Soccer
Hannah Buffington, Jax State, Softball
Tianna Rivera, Kennesaw State, Women’s Soccer
Taiva Reinertson, Liberty, Women’s Lacrosse
Autumn Smith, LA Tech, Women’s Basketball
Kendall Maynard, MTSU, Women’s Golf
Elizabeth Cervantes-Vanderlugt, NM State, Swimming
Jaylen Phillips, Sam Houston, Football
Ema Uskokovic, UTEP, Volleyball/Beach Volleyball
Brooke Sleeva, WKU, Women’s Soccer
 
Mathys Lefebvre, FIU, Men’s Soccer
Lefebvre spent 2024-25 at FIU as a member of the men’s soccer team while pursuing a dual degree for his MBA and Sports Management MBA. In his time at the University of Pittsburgh, he earned a degree in economics with a GPA of 3.46. The graduate student from Paris, France, made 14 starts for the Panthers in 2024, while netting two goals on nine shots in 1,234 minutes of action.
 
Hannah Buffington Jax State, Softball
A four-year member of the Gamecocks’ softball program, Buffington appeared in 142 games with 95 starts as a utility player. Buffington boasts a perfect 4.0 GPA in her pursuit of an MBA, which she is expected to earn at the end of the summer. She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, which recognizes the top 6% of her business class. Buffington’s other academic honors include a CUSA Commissioner’s Academic Medal and a CUSA Spring Spirit of Service Award in 2024. She also served as president of Jax State’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
 
Taiva Reinertson, Liberty, Women’s Lacrosse
Reinertson, a member of the Liberty women’s lacrosse program for four years, recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a 3.37 GPA and plans to pursue a master’s in executive leadership at Liberty. The team captain started all 20 games for the Lady Flames and led Liberty in goals (57) and points (74) while helping her team secure its first NCAA Tournament appearance. Reinertson was a two-time member of the CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
 
Autumn Smith, LA Tech, Women’s Basketball
A four-time member of the CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Smith recently received her bachelor’s in biology with a pre-med concentration while maintaining a 3.54 GPA. She plans to continue her education in a physician’s assistant program. Smith appeared in 79 career games for the Lady Techsters, including 30 appearances in her senior season. The Arlington, Texas, native logged a career-high 15 points on 5-6 shooting from three in a win over Central Baptist on Dec. 19.
 
Kendall Maynard, MTSU, Women’s Golf
Maynard competed in every tournament in her limited time with the Blue Raiders, including starting her career with an individual win in the USA Intercollegiate and eventually earning Second-Team All-CUSA honors at the end of her junior season. A first-team all-academic honoree, she has a 3.96 GPA in communications disorders and is expected to earn her bachelor’s at the end of the summer before pursuing a Doctorate of Audiology at Tennessee in the fall.
 
Elizabeth Cervantes-Vanderlugt, NM State, Swimming
A two-year team captain, Cervantes-Vanderlugt competed all four years for the Aggies’ swim team, racing in the 50 & 100 free and 100 back. She was also a two-year representative on NM State’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. A member of the CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll, the Las Cruces native recently graduated with a bachelor’s in business management with minors in Spanish, counseling and educational psychology. Cervantes-Vanderlugt will embark toward a MBA with a concentration in Finance at NMSU beginning this fall.
 
Jaylen Phillips, Sam Houston, Football
Phillips, a linebacker at Sam Houston, has been part of the squad since 2020. The Katy, Texas, native has represented CUSA as the SAAC representative in many capacities while pursuing his degree in mass communications. Phillips boasts a 3.75 GPA as he expects to graduate in August of this year. He has seen action in 54 games in his five-year career, totaling 78 tackles and 13 tackles for loss.
 
Ema Uskokovic, UTEP, Volleyball/Beach Volleyball
Uskokovic competed for both indoor and beach volleyball teams at UTEP, earning First-Team All-CUSA honors during the indoor season and Academic All-CUSA honors in the spring for beach. The Belgrade, Serbia, native led the Miners in kills (354) and aces (48) in the fall and logged an 11-6 record on the No. 2 court alongside Madison Hill during the beach season. A four-time recipient of the CUSA Commissioner’s Academic Medal, Uskokovic posted a 3.94 GPA in kinesiology in her undergraduate studies and will pursue a MBA at UTEP beginning this fall.
 
Brooke Sleeva, WKU, Women’s Soccer
Sleeva competed for the WKU women’s soccer program for four seasons. She plans to graduate in the fall of 2025 with a Nursing degree and a concentration in Health Care Administration. Sleeva was named to the CUSA All-Freshman Team in 2021 and was a member of the 2024 CUSA Academic Honor Roll. The South Lyon, Mich., native has played in 56 matches over her four years, tallying two game-winning goals, four points and 13 shots on goal.