MAC Names Eight Falcons As Spring Distinguished Scholar-Athletes
July 09, 2018 | Baseball, Softball, Women's Tennis, Women's Track and Field
Official Release (GetSomeMACtion.com)
Cleveland, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference has announced the Distinguished Scholar Athletes from the eight spring sports during this 2017-18 academic season, as a total of 138 students were voted by faculty athletic representatives at MAC institutions representing the 'best of the best' from each sport's Academic All-MAC Teams. The league office announced the news in a press release on Monday, July 9.
Of those 138 students named as 2017-18 Distinguished Scholar Athletes, eight of them are student-athletes from Bowling Green State University. The BGSU baseball team placed three student-athletes on the distinguished list, while the softball and track and field programs had two honorees apiece. The tennis program was represented on the list with one Falcon student-athlete.
Aliyah Gustafson (outdoor track and field) and Rachel Walny (outdoor track and field) earned the honor for the third-consecutive year. Zac Carey (baseball) and Aspen Searle (softball) were chosen as distinguished scholar-athletes for the second-straight year, while Polina Radeva (tennis), Wes Rickenberg (baseball), Laine Simmons (softball) and Jake Wilson (baseball) are first-time selections.
The Distinguished Scholar Athlete is an award in its fourth year given to students who have excelled in athletics and academics. Following each season from the spring sports schedule, any student with a 3.20 GPA and participation in at least 50 percent of its program's contests was automatically named to the previously announced Academic All-MAC Team from each sport. Also, first-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence were not eligible for the award.
From the Academic All-MAC Teams, the faculty athletic representatives selected the 'best of the best' of the Academic All-MAC Teams to be honored with the Distinguished Scholar Athlete Award for the 2017-18 season. The number of Distinguished Scholar Athletes from each sport were equivalent to the number of first-team selections or 20% of nominees, whichever was greater.
A complete listing of all eight Bowling Green State University student-athletes to earn the 2017-18 Spring Distinguished Scholar Athlete award is listed below:
BASE -- *Zac Carey, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.948 GPA, Exercise Science (London, OH)
T&F -- *#Aliyah Gustafson, Bowling Green, Senior, 4.00 GPA, Human Movement & Sport Leisure Studies (Iowa City, IA)
TENNIS -- Polina Radeva, Bowling Green, Junior, 3.76 GPA, Psychology (Varna, Bulgaria)
BASE -- Wes Rickenberg, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.869 GPA, Middle Childhood Education (Napoleon, OH)
SB -- *Aspen Searle, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.722 GPA, Psychology (Brantford, Ontario, Canada)
SB -- Laine Simmons, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.725 GPA, Individual Studies (Suwanee, GA)
T&F -- *#Rachel Walny, Bowling Green, Junior, 3.666 GPA, Human Movement & Sport Leisure Studies (Clinton Township, MI)
BASE -- Jake Wilson, Bowling Green, Sophomore, 3.518 GPA, Pre-Exercise Science (New Lowell, Ontario)
*2016-17 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete
#2015-16 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete
Cleveland, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference has announced the Distinguished Scholar Athletes from the eight spring sports during this 2017-18 academic season, as a total of 138 students were voted by faculty athletic representatives at MAC institutions representing the 'best of the best' from each sport's Academic All-MAC Teams. The league office announced the news in a press release on Monday, July 9.
Of those 138 students named as 2017-18 Distinguished Scholar Athletes, eight of them are student-athletes from Bowling Green State University. The BGSU baseball team placed three student-athletes on the distinguished list, while the softball and track and field programs had two honorees apiece. The tennis program was represented on the list with one Falcon student-athlete.
Aliyah Gustafson (outdoor track and field) and Rachel Walny (outdoor track and field) earned the honor for the third-consecutive year. Zac Carey (baseball) and Aspen Searle (softball) were chosen as distinguished scholar-athletes for the second-straight year, while Polina Radeva (tennis), Wes Rickenberg (baseball), Laine Simmons (softball) and Jake Wilson (baseball) are first-time selections.
The Distinguished Scholar Athlete is an award in its fourth year given to students who have excelled in athletics and academics. Following each season from the spring sports schedule, any student with a 3.20 GPA and participation in at least 50 percent of its program's contests was automatically named to the previously announced Academic All-MAC Team from each sport. Also, first-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence were not eligible for the award.
From the Academic All-MAC Teams, the faculty athletic representatives selected the 'best of the best' of the Academic All-MAC Teams to be honored with the Distinguished Scholar Athlete Award for the 2017-18 season. The number of Distinguished Scholar Athletes from each sport were equivalent to the number of first-team selections or 20% of nominees, whichever was greater.
A complete listing of all eight Bowling Green State University student-athletes to earn the 2017-18 Spring Distinguished Scholar Athlete award is listed below:
BASE -- *Zac Carey, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.948 GPA, Exercise Science (London, OH)
T&F -- *#Aliyah Gustafson, Bowling Green, Senior, 4.00 GPA, Human Movement & Sport Leisure Studies (Iowa City, IA)
TENNIS -- Polina Radeva, Bowling Green, Junior, 3.76 GPA, Psychology (Varna, Bulgaria)
BASE -- Wes Rickenberg, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.869 GPA, Middle Childhood Education (Napoleon, OH)
SB -- *Aspen Searle, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.722 GPA, Psychology (Brantford, Ontario, Canada)
SB -- Laine Simmons, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.725 GPA, Individual Studies (Suwanee, GA)
T&F -- *#Rachel Walny, Bowling Green, Junior, 3.666 GPA, Human Movement & Sport Leisure Studies (Clinton Township, MI)
BASE -- Jake Wilson, Bowling Green, Sophomore, 3.518 GPA, Pre-Exercise Science (New Lowell, Ontario)
*2016-17 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete
#2015-16 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete
Players Mentioned
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