TUCSON, Ariz.– Arizona's student-athletes for the month of January have been announced by C.A.T.S. Academics. The month's honorees are Tylee Shires (Beach Volleyball), Tristan Bounds (Football), Laina Friedmann (Women's Cross Country & Women's Track), and Garrett Hicks (Baseball).
Athlete: Tylee Shires
Year: Freshman
Sport: Beach Volleyball
Hometown: Blanco, Texas
"Tylee Shires, a freshman on the beach volleyball team, had an outstanding first semester. She demonstrated a strong work ethic and stayed focused both on and off the court, setting a great foundation for her collegiate career. Tylee's commitment to improvement and positive attitude has confirmed for me that she will find success in the classroom consistently."
Athlete: Tristan Bounds
Year: Senior
Sport: Football
Hometown: Bethesda, Md.
"Tristan Bounds is a senior post-graduate student-athlete and member of the football team. A native of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Tristan has done an outstanding job academically in his time at The University of Arizona. He is pursuing a second undergraduate degree and maintains one of the highest GPA's on the team."
Athlete: Laina Friedmann
Year: Sophomore
Sport: WCC & WTRK
Hometown: Smithtown, New York
"Laina, is a member of the women's Cross Country and Track & Field teams and a Political Science major who excels both athletically and academically. In the classroom, she is a focused student who approaches her studies with discipline and commitment. As a leader on the cross-country team, she leads by example through consistent hard work, accountability, and a team-first mindset. She embraces challenges on and off the course, using setbacks she learned during competition and with her academics as lessons to grow, improve, and come back stronger. Driven, resilient, and dependable, she is committed to continuous improvement while positively impacting her team and academics."
Athlete: Garrett Hicks
Year: Senior
Sport: Baseball
Hometown: Buckeye, Arizona
"Garrett Hicks has been a standout student ever since transferring in Fall 2024. He quickly became a great addition to work with. His strong work ethic and commitment to success in both academics and baseball make him well deserving of this recognition. He is on track to graduate this semester, which is such a huge accomplishment in itself."
