DALLAS – Conference USA honored the 10 accomplished recipients of the Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship on Friday. This marks the 18^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.
 
2026 Jim Castañeda? Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients
Leilah Sallee, Delaware, Women’s Soccer
Ethan Riley, FIU, Men’s Track and Field
Louise Featherstone, Jax State, Women’s Soccer
Alexander Diggs, Kennesaw State, Football
Caroline Shiery, Liberty, Women’s Basketball
Lana Janson, Missouri State, Women’s Swimming
Abbie Lee, MTSU, Women’s Golf
Dailan Goodman, NM State, Football
Breana Chewens, Sam Houston, Bowling
Zacarias Velasquez, UTEP, Men’s Track and Field
 
Leilah Sallee, Delaware, Women’s Soccer
A four-year member of the Blue Hens’ women’s soccer program, Sallee recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in cognitive sciences with a 3.38 GPA. She was admitted into Delaware’s Speech Language Pathology Master’s program and will start in the fall, where she plans to pursue a career in helping others as she was helped in her childhood following a diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes. Sallee appeared in all 18 games for the Blue Hens with three starts and seven shots on the season.
 
Ethan Riley, FIU, Men’s Track and Field
Riley, a pole vaulter at FIU, has been part of the team since 2022. A four-time member of the CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll, the Louisburg, N.C., boasts a 4.0 GPA in his pursuit of a Master of Science degree in kinesiology and exercise science, which he is expected to earn in December.  In 2024, Riley set a program record in the men’s outdoor pole vault with a mark of 5.16m at the Pacific Coast Invite.
 
Louise Featherstone, Jax State, Women’s Soccer
Featherstone, a member of the Jax State women’s soccer program for two years, recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in integrated studies with a 4.0 GPA and plans to pursue a Master of Business Administration at Florida Gulf Coast in the fall. Featherstone earned CUSA All-Academic and CSC Academic All-District honors in 2025. The Linlithgow, Scotland, native has played in 21 matches over her two years, tallying three game-winning goals, 21 points and 17 shots on goal.
 
Alexander Diggs, Kennesaw State, Football
Diggs competed for the Owls football program for four seasons as a running back. He graduated in December of 2025 with his bachelor’s degree in finance with a 3.91 GPA and is currently pursuing an MBA at Kennesaw State. The two-time CUSA Commissioner Honor Roll member has seen action in 27 career games, recording 107 carries for 403 rushing yards and two touchdowns.  
 
Caroline Shiery, Liberty, Women’s Basketball
Shiery, a member of the Liberty’s women’s basketball program and 2025-26 team captain, recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in strategic communication with a minor in psychology. A three-time CUSA Commissioner Honor Roll recipient, the Harrisburg, Pa., native plans to continue her education at Liberty in strategic communication with a cognate in crisis communication.
 
Lana Janson, Missouri State, Women’s Swimming
Janson, a four-year member of the Missouri State swimming program, graduated in May 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in physics. She finished with a near-perfect 3.98 GPA. During competition she earned four gold medals, four silver medals, five bronze medals and a team conference title. Janson was named first team all-conference and an academic all-district honoree.
 
Abbie Lee, MTSU, Women’s Golf
Lee was a five-year member of the Blue Raiders’ women’s golf program who graduated in May 2025 with a degree in mechatronics engineering. Her 4.0 GPA earned her three CUSA All-Academic Team honors and four CUSA Commissioners Academic Medals. Lee was named NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 honoree, 2025 CUSA Second Team All-Conference and was the 2025 Kentucky Women’s Open Champion.
 
Dailan Goodman, NM State, Football
Goodman recently graduated after three years of competing at running back for the Aggie football team. He earned his degree in chemistry with an emphasis in pre-health. His 4.0 GPA earned him many honors including CUSA Commissioners Honor Roll and Hadley Honor Roll Scholarship. Goodman was accepted and will attend Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
 
Breana Chewens, Sam Houston, Bowling
A standout both on the lanes and in the classroom, Chewens completed her undergraduate studies at Sam Houston, earning a degree in psychology with a minor in sociology. She was a two-time CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll selection and garnered 2025-26 CUSA Third Team All-Conference honors. She maintained a 3.65 GPA and plans to pursue a Master of Science degree in Victim Services Management.
 
Zacarias Velasquez, UTEP, Men’s Track and Field
Velasquez is a four-time letterwinner for the Miner Men’s Track and Field program, competing primarily in long jump and 100-meter dash. He currently owns a 3.91 GPA as he pursues to be a doctor of physical therapy. Velasquez earned recognition on the CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll from 2023-26 and received a 2025-26 CUSA Winter Spirit of Service Award.