GSC Announces Spring All-Academic Honors
Complete Release (PDF) -- GSC Honor Roll
Birmingham, AL—The Gulf South Conference proudly announces its 2012 Spring Sports All-Academic Team.
Forty-two student-athletes, including five three-time selections and nine other repeat members were honored: baseball (10), men’s golf (6), women’s golf (1), softball (12), men’s tennis (7) and women’s tennis (6).
The Spring All-Academic Team is selected by the Gulf South Conference Sports Information Directors (SIDs) and Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs) in a joint vote. Nominated student-athletes must have an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.20 or better on a 4.00 scale for their entire academic career and may not be freshmen or first-semester or quarter transfers. The student-athlete must be a significant contributor to the squad. Other factors include leadership, community service and extra-curricular activities. SIDs and FARs are not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes. The number of student-athletes selected in each sport is determined by the number of positions normally involved in the playing of that sport. Ties are not broken.
BASEBALL
The GSC All-Academic Baseball Team is headlined by two returning members and six unanimous selections. Alabama-Huntsville led the way with three standouts, while Delta State and North Alabama added two apiece.
Returning from last year are UAH relief pitcher Cody Barrett and Valdosta State utility player Chaz Bagwell. Bagwell was also among the list of unanimous selections which also included Alabama-Huntsville outfielder Ty Chancelor and starting pitcher Drew Eiland, DSU catcher Jon Carnahan, West Alabama starting pitcher Barry Meeks and West Georgia second baseman Stuart Drew.
Rounding out the Baseball contingent were DSU outfielder Jordan Chovanec and the UNA duo of third baseman Andrew Almon and catcher Drew Parker.
MEN’S GOLF
All six GSC Men’s Golf sponsoring schools claimed at least one player on the All-Academic Team. North Alabama senior Jake Greer led the way as a three-time returning member, while Delta State senior Grant Goforth and West Georgia senior Bryan Powers posted second-career laurels. Goforth is back from 2011, while Powers returns after a year’s hiatus.
Greer and West Florida senior Ryan Black are the only two players that also posted All-GSC honors in 2012. Taylor Stinson is the first Christian Brothers All-Academic men’s golfer since 2009, while Valdosta State sophomore Austin Graham is the lone underclassmen on the squad.
WOMEN’S GOLF
West Florida junior Agustina Cocha is the lone honoree on the Women’s Golf All-Academic Team. Cocha makes her first-ever appearance after also collecting GSC All-Tournament honors via a fourth-place effort at this year’s Conference Championship.
SOFTBALL
2012 NCAA Champion Valdosta State led the way on the 12-member All-Academic Softball Team by placing five honorees. Alabama-Huntsville, Delta State and North Alabama each added two spots on the squad.
Two three-time All-Academic honorees are North Alabama catcher Kathryn Young and Valdosta State shortstop Marti Littlefield. Alabama-Huntsville pitcher Whitney Gilbert is also back after posting laurels a year ago.
Unanimous selections included VSU first baseman Natalia Morozova and West Alabama pitcher Kristen Skinner. Completing the squad were UAH utility player Mary Kelley, Delta State pitcher Brittany Gonzales and Maggie Jackson, UNA pitcher Haley Barnette and the VSU trio of Brianna Hancock, April Hutchens and Morgan Johnson.
MEN’S TENNIS
Over half of the seven-member Men’s Tennis All-Academic Team return from a year ago. West Florida’s Sean Gunnels and Mike Lue are back from 2011 along with Alabama-Huntsville’s Daniel Canellas and Valdosta State’s Konstanin Kutschenko. Delta State’s Cristian Serrano-Garcia was also a unanimous selection along with Gunnels, Lue and Kutschenko. Rounding out the squad was North Alabama’s Matt Feury and West Florida’s Domenico Sano.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
North Alabama’s Victoria Rees and West Florida’s Naomi Higa top the six-member Women’s Tennis All-Academic squad three-time members. Rees is also featured as the squad’s lone unanimous selection.
Valdosta State placed three members; Juliana Boehm, Michelle Fisher and Alina Nagel, while UNA’s Mackenzie Bishop completed the team.
GSC HONOR ROLL
Delta State leads all schools with 43 Spring Academic Honor Roll student-athletes, followed by Christian Brothers (39) and West Florida (36). North Alabama and Valdosta State each secured 34 members, while Alabama-Huntsville (32), West Georgia (31) and West Alabama (28) closed out the Honor Rol. A minimum grade point average of 3.00 is required. Qualification for this particular honor is automatic based on GPA and nomination (there is no vote).