Ninety-Four K-State Student-Athletes Earn Spring Academic All-Big 12 Honors

By KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Led by 10 honorees nominated with a perfect 4.0 GPA, Kansas State spring student-athletes in the sports of baseball, men’s and women’s golf, rowing, tennis and track and field combined for 94 Academic All-Big 12 honors, as the conference office announced its spring accolades on Tuesday.

The Wildcats had 80 student-athletes named to the first team and an additional 14 on the second team. Of the 94 selections, 41 are from the men’s and women’s track and field program, 33 are on the rowing team, nine are on the baseball team, five are on the women’s golf team, and there are three apiece from the men’s golf team and tennis team.

Those that were nominated with a perfect 4.0 GPA include women’s golfer Haley Vargas; rowing athletes Catie Bartlett, Grace Hall, Emma Johnson, Madison Koller and Symone Simmons; men’s track and field athlete Tim Lambert; and women’s track and field athletes Sydney Burton, Cecilia Fisher and Helen Giefer.

The baseball program produced nine Academic All-Big 12 honorees, including seven first-team nods. In total, the Wildcats have earned 56 academic all-conference honors in the last six seasons under head coach Pete Hughes.

The men’s golf team posted three Academic All-Big 12 honors – its most in three years – and were led by first-team honorees Cooper Schultz and Ben Stoller along with second-team performer Luke O’Neill.

For a fifth-consecutive season, the women’s golf program had its entire eligible roster earn Academic All-Big 12 honors, which included four first-team honorees. The five total players earning accolades tied for the conference lead among all women’s golf programs.

The women’s rowing team led the Big 12 with 33 athletes named to the Academic All-Big 12 team, including the second-most nominated with a 4.0 GPA.

Three women were named Academic All-Big 12 from the tennis team in first-team honoree Maria Santos along with second-team performers Vanesa Suarez and Manami Ukita. Santos and Suarez both earned consecutive academic nods after they were named to the All-Rookie team last season.

A total of 41 track and field athletes were honored – including 34 named to the first team – which includes 27 women and 14 men. In the last five seasons, 217 Wildcats have earned academic conference honors. Burton and Giefer each picked up the accolade for a fourth-straight year.

First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, while the second-team selections hold a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 20 percent of their team’s scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.