Nate Lukez, Sophie McKenzie and AJ Woodman Named February Scholar-Athletes by Center for Enhanced Performance

WEST POINT, NY - The Army West Point Athletics Association's Academic Support team has selected its scholar-athletes for the month of February, recognizing wrestling junior Nate Lukez, women's tennis senior Sophie McKenzie, and men's tennis senior A.J. Woodman.

Wrestling
Nate Lukez '24
CDT Nate Lukez has earned a remarkable 4.02 Cumulative GPA during his first three years at USMA. As an Environmental Science major, Nate's outstanding academic performance includes a 4.05 Academic Program Score and Dean's List recognition for all five terms at the Academy. Nate has maintained a rigorous course load that has included at least 17 credit hours in each term and as many as 19.5 credit hours.

CDT Lukez maintains a 3.5 Military Program Score and currently serves as a Squad Leader in Company E3. His Instructors, Peers, and Subordinates note strong problem solving, interpersonal tact, positivity, and his standard setting for others to follow. Nate has compiled a 3.67 Physical Program Score. His fitness is highlighted by a remarkable 598 (out of 600) on the Army Combat Fitness Test. For AY22, he earned the Master of the Sword Award for his overall performance in the Physical Program. Nate is one of Army West Point Wrestling's top wrestlers and current Team Captain as a junior. He is known for his relentless attacking wrestling style. The Army West Point Wrestling Team anchors its performances on Nate's competitive spirit and expect continued great results from him on and off the mat.

"Nate is the example we want all wrestlers on our team to follow. He lives our motto "Chasing Greatness" in everything he does. His relentless pursuit of excellence in all pillars is a model for all cadet-athletes to follow." – head wrestling coach Kevin Ward.

Women's Tennis
Sophie McKenzie '23
Cadet Sophie McKenzie is an incredible scholar-athlete and a leader both on and off the tennis courts. She is an exceptional, hardworking and dedicated student who has made the Dean's List every semester that she has been at West Point, currently maintaining a 3.78 CQPA as a Life Sciences with Honors major. She has been recognized on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll for the last three consecutive seasons. Upon graduation this spring, Sophie will commission into the Medical Service Corps; she has already been accepted into two top medical school programs and plans to study pediatrics.

Cadet McKenzie is an outstanding leader across multiple domains. She serves as a co-captain of the Army Women's Tennis team. Her positive, empathetic and mission-focused leadership style has greatly enhanced the strong culture and on-court success of the team. She is an unwavering supporter of her teammates, always willing to listen and help where needed, but also a strong leader who sets high standards for the team and helps them achieve them. She is a role model and mentor for younger players, and has planned and executed a variety of events to help build bonds and trust between teammates. Within the Corps of Cadets, she has held a variety of leadership positions, currently serving as a Platoon Leader, where she has consistently demonstrated strong mentorship, communication, and decision-making skills.

Cadet McKenzie's performance on the court this year has also been outstanding. She has accumulated an impressive 8-3 record in both singles and doubles. Sophie had an incredible performance in the West Point Invitational in the fall: in a field of 64 doubles teams, she and partner Carolyn Ahn advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to teammates in a tight match. In singles, after losing a close opening match, she went on a tear, winning her next five matches to earn the championship of the consolation bracket. In her most recent outing against Vassar College, she cruised to a 6-1 win in doubles with partner Elizabeth Gilbert, then followed that up with a gritty 6-3, 2-6, 1-0 win in singles.

Head women's tennis coach Paul Peck added: "Sophie Mckenzie is a leader on the courts and in the classroom! As a team co-captain her work ethic and positive attitude motivates her teammates and sets the example for what a scholar-athlete can accomplish. She will be going to medical school next year because she has done such an outstanding job balancing her academic and athletic commitments. I am so proud of what she has done at West Point, and I am excited to see what the future holds!"

Men's Tennis
AJ Woodman '23
CDT A.J. Woodman, a senior and the number one singles player on the Army West Point Men's Tennis Team, unquestionably is the team's leader this year. To start, he was elected as one of the team's co-captains for this season, which demonstrates the respect he has earned as both a player and teammate. Moreover, AJ plays as the number one singles player, which means he not only is the team's best individual player but also that he consistently faces the other team's best player. He also plays as part of the team's number one doubles team. His record thus far speaks to his notable ability; as of mid-February, approximately half-way through the season, he is 5-4 in singles, which is quite remarkable given the quality of his competition.

In addition to AJ's athletic achievements, his performance in the academic pillar has been just as remarkable. In short, he has been a model of academic consistency throughout his cadet career—his cumulative GPA across his four years at the Academy is 3.3. In particular, this past fall term he achieved a 3.4 GPA. Even more significant, he has earned a 3.75 GPA within his major, Systems Engineering. Just as he does on the tennis courts, AJ sets the standard and culture for the team in the academic realm.

CDT Woodman likewise is a critical military leader within the Corps. AJ's cumulative military score is 3.02, which illustrates his consistently effective performance as a developing military leader. In particular, this year he has served as his company's ACT A representative. This nomination and selection speaks to the respect and trust that AJ has earned within his company, which can be a challenge given the time athletes must dedicate to their sports away from their companies.

In conclusion, AJ's performance across all pillars speak to his consistently excellent performance throughout his four years at the Academy. He has earned the genuine respect and trust of his peers, teammates, and coaches—and he is poised to leave a lasting impact on the Men's Tennis program as he captains the team the remainder of this season.

Head men's tennis coach Randy Rowley adds, "I had the privilege of recruiting AJ Woodman to play tennis and to be a student athlete at Army West Point. It was obvious from the very beginning of the recruiting process AJ had the potential to be an incredible officer, leading America's sons and daughters in the United States Army. AJ has been incredible on the court in terms of his play and leadership, and his evolution in both regards is something I have been fortunate enough to watch beginning as early as his Plebe year. AJ brought innate tennis skills and work ethic with him to West Point, but it is his leadership attributes that continue to set him apart from other players, current and past. There is no secret why AJ Woodman plays number one for this program: he provides an example to live by each day and has been inspiring to not just the coaching staff but to his teammates as well. As inspiring as he has been off the court, he has been a model cadet-athlete and an excellent student in the classroom. AJ is organized, conscientious, and respectful of everyone and will always be a role model for this program to look up to for many years to come."

Army West Point Athletics

Nate Lukez, Sophie McKenzie and AJ Woodman Named February Scholar-Athletes by Center for Enhanced Performance

Players Mentioned

Carolyn Ahn

Elizabeth Gilbert

Nate Lukez

Sophie McKenzie

A.J. Woodman

Related Videos