PENSACOLA, Fla. — The 2025 GSC Awards presented by Caldwell Architects were held Thursday evening in Pensacola Beach, Fla., as the Conference honored some of its best student-athletes from the past and present. Among the awards handed out was the prestigious GSC Commissioner Trophy, which went to Alabama Huntsville men’s basketball standout Tommy Murr and Lee women’s tennis standout Ashleigh Simes.
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The Commissioner’s Trophy is the most prestigious honor bestowed by the GSC, which is presented annually to the student-athlete who best combines outstanding performance on the field or court and high academic achievement in the classroom with significant community service and extracurricular activities.
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The began with a celebration focused on the Conference’s past as it officially inducted the GSC Hall of Fame Class of 2025 which included West Georgia football's Alex Armah, West Alabama athletic trainer R.T. Floyd, Valdosta State tennis coach John Hansen, Alabama Huntsville volleyball's Ellen LaFiore, and Montevallo men's soccer's Jonathan Maloney.
The event then celebrated the GSC’s present as the league awarded its All-Sport Trophies to Lee (overall), Valdosta State (men’s) and West Florida (women’s), before turning its attention to the year’s Top Ten recipients and the announcement of the Commissioner Trophy winners.
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Murr, a native of Athens, Ala., became UAH’s second consecutive winner and fourth all-time, while being the sixth men’s basketball recipient and first since 2021. He had standout season averaging 20.8 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the field, 41.6 percent from three-point range, and led all Division II men’s players in free throw percentage, shooting 93.8 percent. The graduate guard also logged 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per contest
As a result, Murr reeled in several awards including GSC Player of the Year, was a consensus all-America team selection, a finalist for the Small College Basketball Bevo Francis Award and participated in the NABC Senior All-Star Game. The guard also helped UAH to an overall 32-2 record, winning both the GSC regular season and tournament titles.
Off the court, he thrived academically being earning both GSC Honor Roll and All-Academic Team accolades. He was also an active member of UAH’s chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and participated in the Sleep in Heavenly Peace initiative.
Simes, a native of Canberra, Australia, became Lee’s seventh Commissioner’s Trophy winner and fourth in five years, while also being the GSC’s first women’s tennis honoree since 2008. She garnered several accolades during her senior season including the GSC Player of the Year, ITA Division II Senior Player of the Year, ITA Cup James O’Hara Sargent Sportsmanship Award, and was the ITA Cup Division II singles champion.
The senior had an overall record of 23-3 across all singles matches, with a 15-2 mark in dual competitions while playing exclusively at the No. 1-spot in the lineup. The ITA’s top-ranked Division II singles player for the entire 2025 spring season, Simes led the Lady Flames to a 13-4 record and the program’s first-ever NCAA postseason appearance.
Off the court, Simes excelled in the classroom as she was selected to the Chi Alpha Sigma National Student-Athlete Honor Society and was tabbed to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. She also gave back to her community hosting tennis clinics and coaching elementary-age kids along with volunteering for the 65 Roses Run for Cystic Fibrosis and Canberra International Tennis Tournament.
About the Gulf South Conference
The Gulf South Conference is a charter member of NCAA Division II based in Birmingham, Ala. Formed in 1970, the GSC has established a tradition of excellence and leadership in the Division II landscape, celebrating over 50 national titles and more than 160 region championships. Beginning in the 2024-25 academic year, the GSC is comprised of 12 member institutions—Alabama Huntsville, Auburn Montgomery, Christian Brothers, Delta State, Lee, Mississippi College, Montevallo, Trevecca Nazarene, Union (Tenn.), Valdosta State, West Alabama and West Florida. The GSC annually sponsors 19 sports and hosts 18 championship events.