Student-athlete and student-athletes for stylebook purposes

Student-athlete as in The student-athlete has played for three seasons.

Student-athletes as in The conference's top honor goes to three student-athletes.

Is the hyphen needed in both examples?

 

Well, if it's a conference honor, I think the athlete is assumed. And if he/she has played for three seasons, it's assumed.

I just don't like the term student-athlete. Call them players, or by their positions, or hell, by their last name.

 

What she said. Well put.

 

The term "student-athlete" is superfluous, unless the story specifically deals with the status of individuals as both students AND athletes.

If it's a story about Bigstate U. beating the University of Lahdeedah for the conference title, I don't give a shit that Bigstate's point guard has a 3.2 GPA in "general studies." I just care if he scored 22 points and hit a jumper at the buzzer.