Jackson Slater has been named Sacramento State's Male Student-Athlete of the Year, a consensus Football Championship Subdivision All-American following the 2024 season after being recognized by the AP, Stats Perform and the American Football Coaches Association. Photo courtesy of Sacramento State Athletics

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Football's Jackson Slater has been named California State University, Sacramento's Male Student-Athlete of the Year.

Slater is a Football Championship Subdivision Consensus All-American following the 2024 season after being recognized by the Associated Press, Stats Perform and the American Football Coaches Association.

Selected by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round (167th overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft, Slater did not allow a sack during the season, started 44 games during his career and helped the Hornets to a pair of Big Sky titles and three National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Championship Subdivision Playoff appearances.

Slater competed at the Senior Bowl where he garnered national attention for his play against the country's top players. He later attended the NFL Combine and produced some of the top athletic rankings among offensive linemen.

Other nominees included Luke Dugger (golf), named all-Big West Conference, competed in all 11 tournaments and led the team with an average of 71.64 strokes per round, which ranks third in school single-season history. Dugger had a relative scoring average of +0.21 strokes per round and had 19 rounds of par or better, which ranks second in school single-season history. He set the school single-season record with 10 rounds in the 60s, shot 66 in the opening round of the Palouse Collegiate and Ram Masters for his season low. Dugger’s 54-hole total of 66-71-67-204 at the Ram Masters is the third lowest in school history.

Sacramento State’s Jackson Slater did not allow a sack during the 2024 season, started 44 games during his career and helped the Hornets to a pair of Big Sky titles and three National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Championship Subdivision Playoff appearances. Photo courtesy of Sacramento State Athletics

Evan Gibbons (baseball) was named the Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, was the first Hornet to win the honor, a first team all-Western Athletic Conference selection for the first time in his career. He led the Western Athletic Conference in victories at the end of the regular season with a 10-2 overall record, ranking ninth in the nation. Gibbons had the most wins by a Hornet pitcher since Austin Root finished 11-3 in 2018. Gibbons struck out 63 batters in 88.0 innings and ranks tied for seventh on the Hornet career wins list with 21.

Miles Grant (track and field) became the school's first Division I All-American in the men's high jump. He tied for first place at the National Collegiate Athletic Association West First Round after clearing a career-best 7-01.50. That height is tied for third in school history, trailing only marks from 1979 and 1980, repeated as the Big Sky Outdoor Champion, cleared at least 6-11 in five outdoor meets. Grant won the Big Sky indoor title for the second consecutive season and opened the year by setting his indoor personal record with 7-02.50 to rank second in school history.

Henry Lamchinniah (tennis) was unanimously selected first team all-Big Sky Conference (singles) in his first season with the Hornets after transferring from Southern Mississippi. He played at No. 1 in the Hornets' singles lineup all year, owned a 14-5 dual singles record (6-2 in the Big Sky) and won eight of his final 10 matches. Lamchinniah had a six-match singles winning streak from March 5-20 and nine of his 14 singles wins came in straight sets. Fourteen victories were second most among all No. 1 players in the Big Sky.

Donovan Sessoms (soccer), a first team all-Big West Conference selection, was only the sixth Hornet to earn first team honors in the Big West in program history and the first since 2022. As two-time Big West Offensive Player of the Week, Sessoms finished the year with 10 goals (seven in conference play) and 20 points overall, tying him for ninth on the school's single-season goals list and 10th on the single-season points chart. Sessoms had the most goals by a Hornet since 2010 and the most points by a Hornet since 2009. Five of Sessoms’ 10 goals were game winners and he was drafted by the expansion San Diego FC in the third round of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft.