STEPHENVILLE, Texas – To end the 2023-24 Tarleton Athletics season, Texan Softball's Kelci Hill and Texan Track and Field's Gabriele Tosti were named The Grove Student-Athletes of the Month for May.
 
The student-athlete of the month is selected based on the all-around student-athlete for one male and one female. The student-athlete shows effort and excellence in academics, leadership, civility, dedication to the team, campus involvement, community service, and the ability to serve as role models for current and future Tarleton State University students and student-athletes.
 
To be eligible for the award, the student-athlete must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better. Only athletes competing in their championship season are eligible for the award each month.
 
Hill capped off her incredible senior season with a strong stretch in May to help boost the Texans to the WAC Tournament. Across four games, Hill batted .643 (9-of-14) with seven doubles, 19 total bases. Her slugging percentage was a whopping 1.357, she hit a home run, had three RBI, induced a walk for a .667 on-base percentage, stole two bases, and was perfect on the field (10 putouts). Hill helped the Texans go 2-0 on the final day of the regular season, with a dramatic come-from-behind victory that included a Hill home run in the fifth and a rally-continuing RBI double in the seventh. In the win-or-go-home game, she batted 4-for-4 with four runs and three RBI.  
 
Tosti shined in Tarleton's lone meet in May, the WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He became a WAC champion with the gold medal in the triple jump, as he leapt nearly a foot further than the second place competitor at 51 feet 7 inches. Tosti's 10 points for gold contributed to the 76 points scored by the program overall, which put the Texans in sixth place.
 
Once selected as a student-athlete of the month, the recipients are eligible to be selected for Tarleton Student-Athlete of the Year award at the end of the season. This will be announced at a later date.
 
The list of the year's complete award winners are as follows:
 
September: Kevin Baez (Cross Country) and Rajini Fitzmaurice (Volleyball)
October: Darius Cooper (Football) and Avery Harr (Soccer)
November: Jakorie Smith (Men's Basketball) and Emma Burke (Volleyball)
December: End of Semester, No Awards
January: David Mvundura (Track and Field) and Hanna Dudley (Track and Field)
February: Brandon Howell (Baseball) and Martha Makantasi (Tennis)
March: Alvaro Huidobro (Men's Golf) and Sofia Rodriguez (Women's Golf)
April: Reese Bassinger (Baseball) and Alexa Rehmeier (Softball)
May: Gabriele Tosti (Track and Field) and Kelci Hill (Softball)

ABOUT THE GROVE
The Grove is a fully-furnished apartment complex in Stephenville catered to the students of Tarleton State University. They are the title sponsor of the Student-Athlete of the Month awards for the 2023-24 season.