TAMUSA's Barlow, LSUA's Roozendal named RRAC Etier Character Athletes of the Year

WACO, Texas (July 13, 2026) – Kaylee Barlow from Texas A&M University–San Antonio and Stephen Roozendal from LSU Alexandria have been selected as the 2025-26 Red River Athletic Conference Etier Character Athletes of the Year, the conference announced today.

Now in its 10th year, the award is given annually to one male and one female RRAC student-athlete who best represent the tenets of the NAIA Champions of Character program (respect, responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship, and servant leadership). To be eligible, student-athletes must be nominated by their respective RRAC member institution. All nominees are considered finalists, and the winners are selected by a vote of each member of the RRAC Champions of Character Committee.

The awards are posthumously named for Betty Etier, an NAIA and RRAC Hall of Famer, RRAC Eligibility Chair for 18 years, and an associate professor/faculty athletics representative at Huston-Tillotson University (Texas), a former member of the RRAC. Etier made a lasting impression on everyone involved in the RRAC and helped shape the conference from its beginning.

KAYLEE BARLOW - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-SAN ANTONIO

Barlow, a junior softball player from Shepherd, Texas, earned a 3.84 GPA this season as a Political Science major. She was named to the RRAC All-Conference First Team as an outfielder, underscoring her role in the program's most successful campaign, which included a 26-18 overall record and a 17-10 RRAC record. The Jaguars went 2-2 in the conference postseason tournament.

 

Beyond the field, Barlow has been a dedicated volunteer for the San Antonio Food Bank and has served as an ambassador for the A&M System Student Regent. She also serves as the secretary for TAMUSA's Student Advisory Committee and enjoys interacting with freshmen and newcomers as they enter the university.

 

Head Coach Nicole Dame, who this year celebrated her 200th win, commented, "Kaylee is the type of young woman whom you would like to clone and recruit into a lineup. She does everything that is asked of her and more, and she asks for little in return."

 

Barlow aspires to attend law school and, one day, become an attorney.

Roozendal completed his time at LSU Alexandria after playing baseball for four years. The native of Willemstad, Curaçao, graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a 3.78 GPA. He also made a major impact through the SPERO program, an inclusive postsecondary education program for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The name comes from the Latin word spero, meaning "I hope." During his time at LSUA, he helped guide SPERO students through daily tasks across campus. Mentors such as Roozendal assist and support program students during their SPERO classes, audited courses, employment training, LSUA events, and community outings. He was instrumental in helping guide the first group of SPERO graduates.

 

As a four-year member of the baseball team, Roozendal also engaged his teammates and created a positive team atmosphere. He played an integral part in the team's 34-17 overall record and 20-7 RRAC record. The Generals went 1-2 in the conference tournament and earned a berth in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round, where they went 1-2.

 

Tyler Unsicker, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics, commented, "Steph has been an integral mentor on our campus with our baseball team and the SPERO program, which he helped grow. His role on the baseball team changed from being a pitcher only to playing a position and helping our team reach its first NAIA National Tournament in four years. He works hard to uplift others and always has a smile on his face."

 

Roozendal plans to have a career in business.

Female finalists include Louisiana Christian University's Maddison Carey, a freshman on the basketball team; LSU Alexandria's Julia Kwakernaak, a senior on the softball team; Our Lady of the Lake University's Yasmine Escobar, a junior on the cheer team; and University of the Southwest's Elena Moya, a junior on the soccer team.

 

Male finalists include Louisiana Christian's Drew Tebbe, a senior on the basketball team; Texas A&M University-San Antonio's Paul Minjoth, a senior on the basketball team; and University of the Southwest's Markham Gonzales, a senior on the baseball team.