San Marcos — Given Texas State’s success in 2011, picking the Bobcat Athletes of the Year was tough.

Even though several teams didn’t have the best years (football, women’s basketball), those athletes were given equal consideration to those whose teams stood out above the rest (baseball, softball, women’s soccer and volleyball).

Without further ado, here are who earns the awards for last year. These athletes join Carson Smith, Britney Curry and Tyler Arndt, who all were honored in 2010.

Daily Record Bobcat Male Athlete of the Year — Casey Kalenkosky

Texas State needed a big bat to fill its lineup. So head baseball coach Ty Harrington scoured several junior colleges and plucked Casey Kalenkosky from Cisco College.

It didn’t take Kalenkosky long to make an impact for the Bobcats.

Kalenkosky went 7-for-17 (.411) in his first four games with two home runs, six runs batted in and five runs scored. Then, in the second game of a three-game set against Houston, Kalenkosky etched his name in Texas State lore with a walk-off, three-run home run to cap a day in which he went 3-for-6 with two home runs, seven RBI and two runs scored.

As the season continued, Kalenkosky scorched the ball even more, then rewrote the record book.

Kalenkosky broke former Bobcat and current Arizona Diamondback Paul Goldschmidt’s single-season record with his 20th and 21st home run in the Southland Conference Tournament. The junior transfer was a major reason why Texas State came back to win the tournament championship following a loss in the opening round, thus earning Most Valuable Player honors.

In the offseason, Kalenkosky was named third-team All America by the American Baseball Coaches Association, becoming the fifth Bobcat to earn such a distinction.

Honorable Mention — Tony Bishop (basketball), D.J. Hall (football), Kyle Kubitza (baseball).

Daily Record Bobcat Female Athletes of the Year — Amber Calhoun and Chandler Hall

Never has there been a more balanced year for women’s teams at Texas State — and if there is, it would be tough to rule out 2011.

Three women’s teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament following conference championships. Softball began the march toward the postseason in the spring while soccer and volleyball followed with dominant runs in the fall.

Two athletes stood above the rest, as Calhoun and Hall were named co-Female Athletes of the Year in 2011.

Calhoun finished a marvelous career for the volleyball team last season, earning Southland Conference Player of the Year and Southland Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player honors. The senior helped the Bobcats win 20 consecutive matches in conference play after an early loss to UTSA, including a clean sweep of the conference tournament.

In Conway, Ark., Calhoun posted 37 kills, 18 block assists and three solo blocks to lead Texas State to the title and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Hall was equally as dominant for her team, handling triple duty for the Bobcats at the plate, in the circle and in the field.

As a hitter, Hall led Texas State with a .359 average and 10 sacrifice hits. She only had one error playing in the outfield for the Bobcats, recording 24 assists.

As a pitcher, Hall didn’t have her best season, finishing with a 15-15 record and a 2.74 earned-run average, but earned two wins in the SLC Tournament, including the championship game.

Hall was named SLC Tournament MVP for her performance in Huntsville, which included a .615 batting average, eight hits, four runs scored, three walks and two runs batted in.

Honorable Mention — Diamond Ford (basketball), Lauren Frazier (soccer), Caleig McCorquodale (volleyball).

Daily Record Bobcat Newcomer of the Year — Michael Ebbitt

No athlete at Texas State transformed his/her team more than Ebbitt in 2011.

When Ebbitt transferred to play for the Bobcats afterspending four years at Texas A&M, no one knew what to expect out of the defensive lineman. Ebbitt had been buried on the depth chart as a member of the Aggies and sat third behind senior Charles Holmes and junior Jarrett Haywood upon his arrival.

Through hard work and dedication, Ebbitt ascended the depth chart, then assaulted Texas State’s record book.

Ebbitt didn’t have a sack through four games, but all of that changed in a three-game span beginning against Nicholls State. He tormented the Colonels to the tune of four sacks, then brought McNeese State’s quarterback to the ground twice and followed it with a three-sack performance in a game with Lamar.

Teams had to reckon with Ebbitt and the Bobcats’ defense thrived, recording 238 percent more sacks than the previous season (31 to 13).

Ebbitt finished with 11.5 sacks, good enough for second all-time by a Bobcat in a single season. If Ebbitt had one more sack, he could have eclipsed the previous mark set by Cyril Friday (1982) and Rod Clark (1981, 1982).

Honorable Mention — Casey Kalenkosky (baseball), Shaun Rutherford (football), Terrence Franks (football).