Tuesday, July 8, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. - After racing to two more All-American honors on the track this past season, Seattle Pacific University's McKayla Fricker now has one in the classroom, as well.
 
Fricker, who raced to an NCAA national championship in May, has been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America second team for cross country and track and field.
 
The awards are given by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).  

It was the fifth academic honor this school year for Fricker (Canby, Ore.), who graduated with a 3.32 grade-point average in integrated studies.

She earned a spot on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-academic team for cross country last fall, and for track this spring. She also was on the CoSIDA All-District team, which combines cross country and track into one group for its award purposes.
 
She also received national all-academic honors in cross country from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association last fall.  

Fricker won the Division II 800-meter championship on May 24 in Allendale, Mich., clocking a career-best time of 2 minutes, 6.18 seconds, and coming across the finish line more than a full second ahead of Shawnee Carnett from Concord (W.V.).

At the NCAA indoor meet in March, Fricker finished second in the 800.
 
Fricker was the lone GNAC athlete to earn CoSIDA All-America honors this spring, though seven athletes from GNAC schools did earn Academic All-American honors in sports not affiliated with the GNAC.

They included Ryan Anderson and Mats Eriksson of Alaska Fairbanks in rifle and UAF's Danielle Lyons in swimming who were all first-team selections.

Seattle Pacific gymnasts Maria Hundley and Kai Tindall were second team selections.  Skiiers Lukas Ebner of Alaska Anchorage and Alyson McPhetres of Alaska Fairbanks were selected to the third team Academic All-American teams.

Following is complete list of athletes to earn CoSIDA Academic honors during the 2013-14 season.  (GNAC All-Time All-Americans and All-District selections) 

2013-14 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans

Women’s Soccer: Second Team – Kristin Maris, WWU (F, Behavorial Neuroscience, Sr., 3.83, Issaqual, WA).  Third Team – Ashton Griffen, WWU (M, Physical Education, Sr., 3.90, Duvall, WA); Catherine Miles, WWU (F, Biology/Chemistry, So., 3.84, Anacortes. WA).

Men’s Basketball: First Team – David Downs, SPU (Accounting, Sr., 3.80, Kirkland, WA).  Second Team - Teancum Stafford, UAA (Psychology, Jr., 4.00, Auburn, WA);

Women’s Basketball: Second Team - Katie Benson, SPU (Communications, Sr., 3.72, Snohomish, WA).  Third Team - Suzanna Ohlsen, SPU (Biochemistry, Jr., 4.00, Biochemistry).

Women’s Track and Field: Second Team - McKayla Fricker, SPU (Integrated Studies, Sr., 3.32, Canby, OR).

Men’s At-Large: First Team - Ryan Anderson, UAF (Rifle, Biological Sciences, Jr., 3.92, Great Falls, VA); Mats Eriksson, UAF (Rifle, Business Administration, Jr., 3.96, Malung, Sweden).  Third Team - Lukas Ebner, UAA (Skiing, Marketing & Finance, Sr., 3.76, Furtwangen, Germany).

Women’s At-Large: First Team - Danielle Lyons, UAF (Swimming, Biological Sciences, Jr., 3.95, Prince Albert, Sask.).  Second Team - Maria Hundley, SPU (Gymnastics, Psychology, So., 3.65, Littleton, CO); Kai Tindall, SPU (Gymnastics, Integrated Studies, Sr., 3.74, Brier, WA).  Third Team -  Alyson McPhetres, UAF (Skiing, Spanish & Geological Engineering, Jr., 3.91, Chugiak, AK).

2013-14 CoSIDA Academic All-District

Women’s Soccer: Kristin Maris, WWU (F, Behavorial Neuroscience, Sr., 3.83, Issaqual, WA); Catherine Miles, WWU (F, Biology/Chemistry, So., 3.84, Anacortes. WA); Shayla Page, SPU (D, Communications, So., 4.00, Redmond, WA); Ashton Griffen, WWU (M, Physical Education, Sr., 3.90, Dunvall, WA).

Men’s Soccer:  Matt Merchant, SPU (M, Business Administration, So., 3.83, Portland, OR); Blaine Carver, SPU (F, Business Administration, Sr., 3.89, Soldotna, AK); Andrew Weishaar, WWU (F, Accounting, Sr., 3.72, Puyallup, WA).

Volleyball: Emly Boerger, WWU (Anthropology/Biology, Sr., 3.89, Marysville, WA).

Men’s Basketball: David Downs, SPU (Accounting, Sr., 3.80, Kirkland, WA); Teancum Stafford, UAA (Psychology, Jr., 4.00, Auburn, WA); Riley Stockton, SPU (Business Administration, Jr., 3.87, Spokane, WA).

Women’s Basketball: Katie Benson, SPU (Communications, Sr., 3.72, Snohomish, WA); Bobbi Knudsen, MSUB (Biology, Sr., 3.49, Malta, Mont.); Suzanna Ohlsen, SPU (Biochemistry, Jr., 4.00, Biochemistry).

Softball: Lacey McGladrey, SMU (2B, Accounting, Sr., 3.64, Bothell, WA).

Women’s Track and Field: McKayla Fricker, SPU (Integrated Studies, Sr., 3.32, Canby, OR); Bryn Haebe, UAA (Nursing, Psychology & Nutrition, Jr., 3.92, Evergreen, CO).

Men’s At-Large: Ryan Anderson, UAF (Rifle, Biological Sciences, Jr., 3.92, Great Falls, VA); Lukas Ebner, UAA (Skiing, Marketing & Finance, Sr., 3.76, Furtwangen, Germany); Mats Eriksson, UAF (Rifle, Business Administration, Jr., 3.96, Malung, Sweden).

Women’s At-Large: Maria Hundley, SPU (Gymnastics, Psychology, So., 3.65, Littleton, CO); Kai Tindall, SPU (Gymnastics, Integrated Studies, Sr., 3.74, Brier, WA); Danielle Lyons, UAF (Swimming, Biological Sciences, Jr., 3.95, Prince Albert, Sask.); Alyson McPhetres, UAF (Skiing, Spanish & Geological Engineering, Jr., 3.91, Chugiak, AK).