41 Hillcats Earn D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award
The Division 2 Athletics Directors Association (D2 ADA) announced the 2016-17 recipients of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Awards with 41 Rogers State student-athletes earning the honor.
The 41 Hillcats represented all 12 RSU intercollegiate athletic programs. Women’s basketball totaled seven recipients, the most of the navy and red programs. Women’s soccer and women’s cross country closely followed with six honorees.
In total, a record 10,644 student-athletes from 183 institutions are being recognized for the 2016-17 Academic Achievement Awards. For the fifth-consecutive year, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) had the most student-athletes honored with 1,022 followed by the Northeast-10 Conference (NE10) with 941 student-athletes and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) with 865 selections.
“As an Officer for the D2 ADA Board, I have been pleased to see the increase in the number of student-athletes recognized for their academic achievements,” said D2 ADA President Scott Wiegandt, director of athletics at Bellarmine University. “This program is a point of pride for our current D2 ADA member institutions and a great way to recognize the achievements of their student-athletes. On behalf of the D2 ADA, we celebrate these academic accolades and are proud of your accomplishments.”
The Heartland Conference totaled 283 student-athletes from six institutions. Oklahoma Christian topped the league with 66 recipients. RSU ranked fourth in the conference.
In order for a student-athlete to receive an Academic Achievement Award, the athletics director of the Division II institution must be a current dues-paying member of the D2 ADA. The student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale, have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work and have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year.
| First Name | Last Name | Sport | Academic Year Completed (i.e. Sr., Jr., So.) |
| Sam | Casinelli | Baseball | Jr. |
| Chris | Nakashima | Baseball | Jr. |
| Landon | Nealon | Baseball | Jr. |
| Travis | Hester | M Basketball | Sr. |
| Kyler | Ng | M Basketball | Sr. |
| Baylor | Harvey | M Cross Country | R-Jr. |
| Cruzito | Chavez | M Cross Country | So. |
| Alex | Marsh | M Golf | Jr. |
| Cody | Gammill | M Soccer | Jr. |
| Ellis | Ashworth | M Soccer | So. |
| Tyler | Fielder | M Soccer | So. |
| Jake | Simpson | M Soccer | So. |
| Blake | Fisher | M Track and Field | R-So. |
| Jaquan | Johnson | M Track and Field | So. |
| Payton | Calhoun | Softball | Jr. |
| Katelyn | Gamble | Softball | So. |
| Courtney | Davis | Softball | Sr. |
| Mayra | Helguera | Softball | Sr. |
| Kayla | Patterson | Softball | Sr. |
| Nikola | Nedoroscikova | W Basketball | Jr. |
| Heather | Roberts | W Basketball | R-Jr. |
| Jacquelyn | Bueno | W Basketball | R-Sr. |
| Carlye | Bohannan | W Basketball | So. |
| Lindsey | Byfield | W Basketball | So. |
| Lauren | Schuldt | W Basketball | So. |
| Courtney | Smith | W Basketball | Sr. |
| Hailey | Gillispie | W Cross Country | Jr. |
| J’Cee | Holmes | W Cross Country | Jr. |
| Malinda | Moore | W Cross Country | R-So. |
| Brianna | Valles | W Cross Country | So. |
| Andria | Gourd | W Cross Country | Sr. |
| Hunter | Thompson | W Cross Country | Sr. |
| Stirling | Phillips | W Golf | So. |
| Mica | Eastin | W Golf | Sr. |
| Leigh Ann | Craig | W Soccer | Jr. |
| Lexi | Ellingsen | W Soccer | Jr. |
| Suvannah | Kerans-Melton | W Soccer | Jr. |
| Tayler | Stover | W Soccer | So. |
| Marlaina | Trahant | W Soccer | So. |
| Taylor | Williams | W Soccer | So. |
| Cambridge | Coy | W Track and Field | Jr. |
For more information on RSU Athletics, go to www.rsuhillcats.com.
