Alabama Athletics Leads the Nation in CoSIDA Academic All-Americans
6/28/2018 11:16:00 AM | General, Softball, Women's Golf, Gymnastics, Soccer, Women's Tennis, Volleyball, Swimming & Diving, Track & Field, Cross Country
A total of 11 Crimson Tide student-athletes earned Academic All-America honors during the 2017-18 academic year, marking the fifth year in a row Alabama has reached double digits in terms of the prestigious honor
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama Athletics once again led the nation in Academic All-America honors as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), totaling 11 during the 2017-18 academic year.
"Our commitment to excellence in all aspects of the collegiate experience serves as the foundation of our overall success at The University of Alabama," UA Director of Athletics Greg Byrne said. "Our extraordinary record in terms of Academic All-America honors is a testament to the drive, determination and discipline of our student-athletes and the support provided by our coaches, faculty and staff."
The Crimson Tide's total also makes Alabama the only school to earn double-digit honors the last five years in a row.
Alabama has earned Academic All-America honors a Division I-best 88 times since 2009-10 and 56 times over the last five. The Tide's five-year total is 11 better than second-place Stanford over that span.
"Not only did we lead the nation in Academic All-America honors for the season, but we continued what has become a proud Crimson Tide tradition by producing double-digit selections," Byrne said. "That kind of sustained excellence is truly impressive."
The CoSIDA Academic All-America program includes men's and women's soccer, basketball and track and field/cross country as well as football, women's volleyball, baseball and softball. There is also the men's and women's at-large teams, which includes 14 women's and 12 men's sports.
Swimmers Laurent Bams, Robert Howard, Luke Kaliszak and Temarie Tomley along with gymnast Mackenzie Brannan, tennis player Andie Daniell and golfer Kristen Gillman all earned a place on the at-large teams.
In the fall, Emma Welch earned a spot on the soccer list while Leah Lawrence earned the recognition for volleyball. In the spring, Bailey Hemphill earned the honor in softball and Josh Short rounded out the Tide's total when he earned a place on the track and field/cross country team.
It was Brannan's third Academic All-America honor, Kaliszak's second and the first for the remaining nine.
Overall, Alabama leads the Southeastern Conference with a total of 170 Academic All-American honors, and is ranked fifth among NCAA Division I schools. The Tide is ranked first among Division I schools since 2009-10 with 88 and second since 2000 with 134.
Other Alabama CoSIDA Academic All-America highlights:
- This spring, Alabama became the first school to have a combined seven student-athletes earn a place on the at-large team in the same year. It also marked the second time that the Tide has had the maximum number of student-athletes, four, on the women's at-large team. Alabama was the first school to put four on the women's (2014) and men's (2017) at-large teams and is now the first to put four on the women's team twice (2014 and 2018). Â
- The Alabama men's swimming and diving program has been particularly prolific over the past four years, with six swimmers earning 12 honors. That total is nearly double what any other school has put on the at-large team over that span for all sports combined.
- Alabama softball players have earned 24 Academic All-America awards over the Tide's 22-year history, including at least one award winner every year since 2008.
- UA gymnasts have earned Academic All-America recognition 23 times with Brannan becoming the third Alabama gymnast to garner three honors in a career with her 2018 accolade. Tide gymnasts have earned Academic All-America honors 10 of the past 11 years and the past six years in a row.
- Lawrence's honors marked the fourth season in a row that at least one Tide volleyball player has earned the honor.
- Welch is the seventh UA soccer player to earn Academic All-America, with her honor becoming the Tide's eighth in program history.
- Short's honor marks the ninth year in a row that at least one member of the track & field/cross country program has earned Academic All-American recognition. Overall, 11 members of the program have earned Academic All-America recognition 18 times.
- In addition to the Tide's 11 Academic All-Americans, six additional UA student-athletes earned Academic All-District recognition: Rachel Bobo (softball), Connor Ferrentino (men's track and field/cross country), Nicole Gardner (women's track and field/cross country), Keith Holcombe (football), Jonah Williams (football) and Braxton Young (at-large/swimming and diving).
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