PORTALES, N.M. — Eastern New Mexico University Athletic Director Dr. Greg Waggoner has announced that Keenan Dodd and Danee Bustos have been chosen as the department’s Academic Greyhounds. Dodd represented the men’s teams, while Bustos represented the women’s programs.

In the five-year existence of the award, Dodd was the first representative chosen from the baseball team, while Bustos was the first from the track & field program. The duo’s accomplishments in competition and in the classroom represented ENMU Athletics at the highest level.

The candidates were selected from a pool of candidates picked by the coach of each team as the squad’s Academic Athlete of the Year. ENMU coaches and athletic administrators then vote among the potential candidates to determine the overall Academic Greyhounds for the department. Last year’s honorees were Wyatt Strand (Football) and Courtney Lawson (volleyball).

“These are two outstanding selections, as both Danee and Keenan are outstanding students, athletes and leaders,” said Waggoner. “They represent the best of Greyhound Nation and we are proud to have them as our representatives and ambassadors regarding this prestigious award.”

Keenan Dodd, a senior biochemistry/chemistry major, is the first ENMU baseball player to be chosen as the LSC Academic Player of the Year. The last ENMU athlete to garner LSC Academic Player of the Year was Courtney Lawson (Volleyball, 2016), while the last male winner was Jeremy Buurma (Football, 2015).

With a team-best six wins and a .255 batting average allowed, Dodd didn’t given up a lot of hits when taking the field for the team. The senior right-hander also has pitched a winner the classroom. In addition to his numerous Lone Star Conference accolades, Dodd has been chosen as ENMU’s regional representative for the Most Outstanding Graduating Senior in Chemistry Award and ENMU Biochemistry Student of the Year. Of the Greyhound starters, Dodd boasts a 5.79 earned-run average along with wins over UT Permian Basin, Cameron and Angelo State. In ENMU’s historic doubleheader sweep over ASU, he allowed just three runs over 4.1 innings.

Danee Bustos, a Communicative disorders major, garnered All-America status in the 4x100m relay at the NCAA Division II Championships and competed in the 200m dash. She also provisionally qualified for the 400m dash with a time of 55.67 to take first place at the ENMU Open. Bustos took third in the 200m at the LSC Championships and notched a first-place finish in the 200m dash at both the ENMU Open and West Texas A&M Classic. She also was chosen to the Google Cloud Academic All-District Team

ENMU Academic Greyhounds of the Year

Year
Athlete
Men’s Teams
2013-14
Kyle Lantz (Basketball)
Men’s Teams
2014-15
Seth Bailey (Basketball)
Men’s Teams
2015-16
Jeremy Buurma (Football)
Men’s Teams
2016-17
Wyatt Strand (Football)
Men’s Teams
2017-18
Keenan Dodd (Baseball)
Women’s Teams
2013-14
Taylor Smith (Rodeo)
Women’s Teams
2014-15
Courtney Lawson (Volleyball)
Women’s Teams
2014-15
Beth Blind (Cross Country)
Women’s Teams
2015-16
Courtney Lawson (Volleyball)
Women’s Teams
2015-16
Jordyn Cooper (Basketball)
Women’s Teams
2016-17
Courtney Lawson (Volleyball)
Women’s Teams
2017-18
Danee Bustos (Track & Field)