RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – On Wednesday, the Great American Conference announced that a record 1,594 student-athletes achieved Academic All-Conference honors, an increase of 214 from the prior high, set last academic year.
Harding led with 215 student-athletes earning GAC Academic All-Conference marks. The Bisons and Lady Bisons collected the most All-Academic selections in women’s soccer, men’s basketball, women’s golf and men’s track & field. Their totals in football, men’s cross country, women’s cross country and women’s track & field ranked second.
Ouachita Baptist claimed second with 194 All-Academic team members. Both the Tigers’ men’s and women’s cross country teams led the conference in those respective sports as well as their women’s track & field team. Their honorees in men’s and women’s tennis, as well as men’s track & field finished as the second-highest totals in the league.
Southern Nazarene ranked third with 174 All-Academic performers. The Crimson Storm led the conference for All-Academic honorees in football, men’s soccer and shared the league high in men’s golf. The 51 honorees in football represented the highest total in any sport in the league. The Crimson Storm volleyball team produced the second-most All-Academic selections.
Southern Arkansas followed in fourth, followed by Northwestern Oklahoma State. The Muleriders led the GAC with 13 All-Academic selections in volleyball and ranked second in baseball with 24 All-Academic members. The Ranger teams – women’s soccer, women’s basketball and baseball – produced the most All-Academic selections in their respective sports.
Oklahoma Baptist placed 114 student-athletes on the All-Academic Team, followed by 112 from Henderson State, 109 from Arkansas Tech, 105 from East Central, 99 from Southwestern Oklahoma State, 97 from Southeastern Oklahoma State and 70 from Arkansas-Monticello. The Reddies led the GAC with 20 All-Academic Team members in softball and seven in women’s tennis. The Savage Storm paced the conference with six selections in men’s basketball and nine in men’s tennis.
As affiliate members, Rogers State, Fort Hays State, Newman and Northeastern State combined for 36 All-Academic selections in men’s soccer.
GAC football student-athletes garnered the most All-Academic selections, 292, followed by 222 from baseball, 178 in softball 139 from women’s track & field and 100 in women’s soccer.
“Division II places the balance of academic and athletic pursuits in its highest regards,” 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.”
For student-athletes to be recognized on the Academic All-Conference team, they must have enrolled as freshmen prior to the fall of 2023. 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.
WWW.GREATAMERICANCONFERENCE.COM
See below to download a PDF of all 1,594 GAC student athletes on the All-Academic Team.
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