RUSSELLVILLE -- A total of 43 Ouachita Baptist student-athletes and 13 at Henderson State were among a record 360 in the Great American Conference to achieve Academic All-Conference honors in the sports of football, volleyball, men's and women's soccer, and men's and women's cross country.
The league made the announcement this week. The 360 total is 11 more than the previous high for the fall competitions of the 2017-18 academic year.
For student-athletes to be recognized on the Academic All-Conference team, they must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing and must have completed at least one full academic year at the nominating institution. Freshmen and redshirt freshmen are not eligible.
Their grade-point average must be a minimum of 3.3 based on the 4.0 system. The GPA shall be cumulative for the athlete's entire collegiate career.
Harding led with 55 of its student-athletes earning GAC Academic All-Conference, best among the 12 league institutions. The GAC champion Bison cross country team posted the highest number of All-Academic selections in that sport while the football team's 18 All-Academic honorees rated second, behind only Southern Nazarene's 20. The Crimson Storm placed second with 46 total All-Academic selections.
Oklahoma Baptist and Ouachita Baptist ranked third and fourth in All-Academic picks. The Lady Bison's GAC champion cross country team produced a GAC-leading eight All-Academic selections. The Tigers' GAC Tournament champion men's soccer team also paced the GAC, notching placing 10 on the All-Academic team
"Division II places the balance of athletic pursuit and academic excellence in its highest regards," GAC Commissioner Will Prewitt said. "I congratulate all of these student-athletes for excelling in the classroom while competing with integrity on the field of play."
Ouachita's selections from the men's soccer teams were Jakob Cuellar, sophomore, Pre-Medicine Frisco, Texas, 3.81; Hector Duron, junior, Business Administration/Management Frisco, Texas, 3.83; Dillon Farrell, senior, Finance McKinney, Texas, 3.88; Michiru Forbess, senior, Biology Benton, 3.88; Peyton Frick, junior, Kinesiology - Teaching Emphasis West Monroe, La., 3.83; Blaine Hickman, junior, Business Administration/Sport Management Royse City, Texas, 3.84; Marcellus Hill, senior,Mass Communications Princeton, Texas, 3.83; Tyler Mouton, senior, Accounting Flower Mound, Texas, 3.88; Dillon Wester, junior, Biology Mesquite, Texas, 3.89; and Joey Zerbo, junior, Kinesiology/Leisure Pre-Professional Studies Frisco, Texas, 3.82.
The football program led the Tigers with a dozen slections, including Jeffrey Alexander, junior, History Nashville, 3.54; Cole Antley, junior, Business Administration/Entrepreneurship Atlanta, Ga., 3.51; Brockton Brown, sophomore, Biology Sheridan, 3.37; Ethan Edwards, junior, istory Hawkins, Texas, 3.54; Allie Freeman, sophomore, Kinesiology/Fitness Little Rock, 3.95; Drew Harris, junior, Kinesiology - Teaching Emphasis Benton, 3.33; Jonathan Harris, sophomore, Undeclared Pine Bluff, 3.95;] Luke Holt, senior, Kinesiology/Fitness New Site, Ala., 3.53; Clay Patrick, senior, Biology Fayetteville, 3.51; Jay Patrick, senior, Biology Fayetteville, 3.45; Charles Reed, senior, Accounting El Dorado, 3.45; and Ben Snoga, junior, Business Administration Seguin, Texas, 3.38.
The nine selections from Ouachita's women's soccer team were Natalia Arteaga, junior, Communication Sciences and Disorders Chatsworth, Calif., 3.93; Sarah Fish, senior, Accounting San Antonio, Texas, 4.0; Alyssa Hardan, sophomore, Political Science Round Rock, Texas, 3.94; Marina Lorenzo, sophomore, Nutrition/Dietetics Mesquite, Texas, 4.0; Jessica McCauley, senior, Biology North Little Rock, 3.31; Brittany Ratliff, junior, Mathematics Fort Worth, Texas, 3.34; Kasey Smith, senior, Accounting El Dorado, 3.31; Tori Stratton, junior, Elementary Education Flower Mound, Texas, 3.94; and Shannon Stribling, sophomore, Accounting Rogers.
Six selections were made from Ouachita's women's cross country team, including Kesley Brown, junior, Biomedical Sciences Rogers, 4.0; Rachel Dilatush, senior, Psychology Fayetteville, 4.0; Emily Mahan, junior, Biology Piperton, Tenn., 4.0; Kallie Polk, junior, Elementary Education Bella Vista, 4.0; Emily Stover, sophomore, Mass Communications Little Rock, 3.96; and Caroline Sweet, sophomore, Secondary Education North Little Rock, 3.97.
Lake Hamilton alum Kori Bullard, a senior Biology major, maintained a 4.0 once again to earn a selection. She has received the GAC's Crafton Tull Elite Scholar Athlete of the Year award each of the past two seasons. She was joined from the volleyball team by Tori Barnhill, sophomore, Biology Lonoke, 3.30; Katie Camp, sophomore, Business Administration/ Marketing Plano, Texas, 3.36; Nikki Clay, junior, Kinesiology - Teaching Emphasis Bryant, 3.43; Stormi Leonard, junior, Finance Decatur, Texas, 3.44; and Alexis Weber, senior, Communication Sciences and Disorders Sherwood, 3.37.
GAC football student-athletes garnered the most All-Academic selections, 131, followed by 65 from women's soccer, 63 in volleyball and 53 in women's cross country. Southwestern Oklahoma State, the GAC Tournament champions, and East Central shared the lead with 12 All-Academic picks in women's soccer while Arkansas-Monticello paced the conference in volleyball with nine All-Academic members.
A total of nine Reddie football players were honored, including Grant Gaston, a senior punter from Lakeside. Gaston has a 3.41 as a Public Administration/Management major.
Also selected from the football team were Tyler Barnes, senior, Health & Human Performance Starkville, Miss., 3.55; Darion Gray, senior, Recreation/Sports Management Huffman, Texas, 3.36; Cody Mikell, senior, Health & Physical Education Poplarville, Miss., 3.60; Trevor Pipkin, junior, Finance Prescott, 3.44; Blake Reeve, senior, Health & Physical Education Cuero, Texas, 3.64; Walter Segal, junior, Health & Physical Education Fresno, Calif., 3.57; Riley Smith, sophomore, Health & Human Performance Hope, 3.46; and Cory Stitle, senior, Recreation/Sports Management Aledo, Texas, 3.86.
Henderson's three volleyball selections were Gillian Garramone, sophomore, Mathematics, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 3.66; Sydney Skelton, senior, Recreation/Sports Management, Jonesboro, 3.51; and Violet Williams, senior, Recreation/Sports Management, Nevada, Texas, 3.57.
Ashley Gore, of Cabot, of the women's cross country team earned a spot having a 3.6 GPA in Health and Physical Education.
Sports on 02/22/2018