RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Following the completion of the 2014-15 season of competition in the Great American Conference, the league office announced that 254 student-athletes achieved Academic All-Conference honors in the sports of men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, baseball and softball.
East Central and Harding led with 32 student-athletes earning GAC Academic All-Conference. The Tigers collected the most All-Academic selections in men’s golf and ranked second in the GAC in baseball, men’s basketball, men’s tennis and women’s golf. The Bisons posted the highest number of All-Academic selections in baseball and men’s basketball and tied for the most in men’s golf. The GAC champion women’s basketball team posted six All-Academic honorees, one off the top mark in the league.
2014-15 GREAT AMERICAN CONFERENCE WINTER/SPRING ALL-ACADEMIC TEAMS
“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 baseball student-athletes garnered the most All-Academic selections, 62, followed by 61 from softball and 45 in women’s basketball. Southeastern Oklahoma State boasted nine All-Academic honorees in men’s tennis and seven in women’s basketball to lead the conference. A pair of Arkansas Tech’s NCAA-bound programs, the women’s golf team and women’s tennis team led the GAC in All-Academic selections. Southern Arkansas and Arkansas-Monticello shared the top mark in softball with nine while Southwestern Oklahoma State placed seven women’s basketball student-athletes on the All-Academic list to pace the GAC.
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.