RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Following fall portion of 2016-17 season of competition in the Great American Conference, the league office announced that 349 student-athletes achieved Academic All-Conference honors in the sports of football, volleyball, men's and women's soccer and men's and women's cross country.
Harding led with 55 of its student-athletes earning GAC Academic All-Conference, best among the 12 league institutions. The Bisons posted the highest number of All-Academic selections in both football and men's cross country. HU also placed eight volleyball student-athletes on the All-Academic team, tied with Ouachita and Southern Nazarene for the highest total in the conference. The Tigers placed second with 49 All-Academic selections, headlined by a GAC-leading 11 in men's soccer in addition to eight from the volleyball team.
"Division II emphasizes the balance of academic and athletic pursuits," GAC Commissioner Will Prewitt said. "I congratulate all of these student-athletes for excelling in the classroom while competing and practicing hard on the field of play."
GAC football student-athletes garnered the most All-Academic selections, 132, up from 91 last fall, followed by 65 from women's soccer, 63 in volleyball and 43 in women's cross country. Oklahoma Baptist led the GAC with 10 All-Academic performers in women's cross country and 12 in women's soccer.
For student-athletes to be recognized on the Academic All-Conference team, they must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing (true freshmen and redshirt freshmen are not eligible) and must have completed at least one full academic year at the nominating institution. In addition, their grade-point average must be a minimum of 3.30 based on the 4.0 system. The GPA shall be cumulative for the athlete's entire collegiate career.
Harding's honorees included:
Football - Austin Balbin, Sam Blankenship, Bryce Bray, Logan Buchanan, Dylan Cardwell, John Crider, Gavin De Los Santos, Dakota Endsley, Brandon Gates, Michael Gragg, Colin Harper, Jon Aaron Howell, Austin Jarrett, Eric Kelly, Tucker Kuntz, Morgan Lewis, Eric Mitchell, Tristan Parsley, Hunter Ryan, Daylan Skidmore, Colby Webb, Cordell Zalenski
Men's Cross-Country - Lawson Belcher, Tyler Cantrell, Daniel Evans, Larry Lopez, Jordan Turney
Men's Soccer - Aaron Craig, Justin Kucera, Austin McAlister, Cody Moore, Van Thang, Phillip White
Volleyball - Taylor Eubank, Abigail Glosup, Rachel Heussner, Taylor Lake, Taylor Mounts, Madison Poen, Emma Reeves, Sara Smith
Women's Cross-Country - Madison Drennan, Sarah Kauble, Sylvie Mueller, Kirstie Smith, Amber Webb, Alexandra Whittington
Women's Soccer - Rachel Bacon, Asia Hollingsworth, Meagan Ogburn, Carley Stevens, Bethany Sutherland, Melita Sutherland, Hannah Wilhelm, McKenna Smith
