Thursday, May 21, 2020

PORTLAND, Ore. – The cancellation of the spring season and the changes to education did little to affect the success of Western Washington junior rower Maddie Bangasser and Central Oklahoma senior rower Bailee Thomas as both have earned selection to the 2020 College Sports Information Directors of America’s (CoSIDA) Division II Academic All-District Women’s At-Large Team.

Bangasser was the conference’s lone selection to the District 8 team, comprised of student-athletes from schools in the GNAC, California Collegiate Athletic Association and PacWest Conference. Thomas was a selection to the District 7 team, comprised of schools whose primary affiliation is the Great American, Mid-America and Northern Sun conferences.

With the shortened collegiate spring seasons nationwide, nominees for the program were evaluated using career statistics instead of season statistics.

Bangasser, who holds a 3.95 cumulative GPA as a kinesiology junior, was named to her second Academic All-District Team. She was part of the lineup in the Vikings’ women’s collegiate varsity 8+ entry at November’s Head of the Lake Regatta in Seattle, which was the Vikings’ only competition of the season. Bangasser was part of the varsity 8+ that took third place in the grand final at the 2019 NCAA Division II Championships.

Thomas holds a 4.00 GPA as a double major in forensic science and psychology. She is one of an impressive six 4.00 performers on the District 7 team. Thomas was part of the Bronchos’ varsity 8+ in both fall regattas, the Head of the Oklahoma and the Tulsa Invite, and also rowed as a member of the varsity 4+ at the Head of the Oklahoma. Thomas was part of Central Oklahoma’s national-champion varsity 8+ at the 2019 NCAA Division II Championships.

In addition to the two rowers, three student-athletes from GNAC schools in non-conference championship sports were named to the Academic All-District 8 Men’s At-Large Team. This list includes Alaska sophomore rifleman Morgan Erickson (3.98, justice administration), Nanooks’ senior skier Tristan Sayre (4.00/3.92, civil engineering) and Alaska Anchorage sophomore skier JC Schoonmaker (3.92, health sciences).

With the selections, the quintet is now eligible for selection to the CoSIDA Division II Academic All-America At-Large Team, which will be announced on Thursday, June 18.

To be eligible for the CoSIDA All-Academic All-America program, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA and must have completed one full calendar year at the nominating institution. Nominated student-athletes must also have participated in at least 50 percent of their teams’ contests.