PORTLAND, Ore. – Four years on the court and in the classroom for Western Oregon’s Ali Nelke and four years of straight As.
The Wolves’ senior forward has excelled not only on the court, but as a business major. She headlines the 2018-19 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball All-Academic Team as the only member on the squad with a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade point average.
While maintaining her sterling grades, Nelke moved back into a full-time starter after playing in 18 games in a reserve role during the 2017-18 campaign. She enters the week averaging 8.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while starting in all 18 games this season. She is ranked , second in the GNAC with a .556 field goal percentage, is fifth with 1.4 blocked shots per game and ninth in rebounding.
A total of 53 student-athletes were named to the Women’s Basketball All-Academic Team. To qualify for the team, a student-athlete must be of sophomore standing or higher, be in their second season at the nominating school and have a minimum 3.20 cumulative grade point average.
A total of 12 players made the All-Academic Team with a GPA of 3.80 or greater.
Of the 53 total honorees, 29 are repeat selections. Nelke leads the list of 13 honorees who are on the team for the third time. That includes Alaska senior Marian Wamsley, Alaska Anchorage senior Tara Thompson, Central Washington senior Sadie Mensing, Montana State Billings seniors Taylor Edwards, Brina Hull and Vanessa Stavish; Northwest Nazarene senior Ellie Logan, Saint Martin’s seniors Rebekah Baugh, Emma Kennedy and Mallory Kessler; Seattle Pacific senior Jaylee Albert and Western Oregon senior Natalie DeLonge.
Concordia and Saint Martin’s each had seven selections to the All-Academic Team. Montana State Billings and Northwest Nazarene each had six selections.
2018-19 GNAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
ALASKA | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Emily Evans | Psychology | Sr. | 3.32 | Cheyenne, Wyo. |
Brittany Richards | Business Adminsitration | Jr. | 3.75 | Dunedin, New Zealand |
* Kylie Wallace | Social Work | Jr. | 3.94 | Petersburg, Alaska |
*# Marian Wamsley | Psychology | Sr. | 3.80 | Valdez, Alaska |
ALASKA ANCHORAGE | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
* Yazmeen Goo | Justice | Jr. | 3.44 | Daly City, Calif. |
*+ Tara Thompson | Accounting & Management | Sr. | 3.70 | Anchorage, Alaska |
Tennae Voliva | Psychology | So. | 3.79 | Anchorage, Alaska |
CENTRAL WASHINGTON | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
* Kaelie Flores | Family & Child Life | Jr. | 3.25 | Keizer, Ore. |
Kassidy Malcolm | Adventure Leadership | So. | 3.69 | Ellensburg, Wash. |
*+ Sadie Mensing | Mechanical Engineering Tech | Sr. | 3.78 | Snohomish, Wash. |
* Alexis Pana | Art | Jr. | 3.53 | Hilo, Hawaii |
* Taylor Shaw | Recreation Tourism & Events | Jr. | 3.52 | Oregon City, Ore. |
CONCORDIA | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Abigail Aplaca | Biology | So. | 3.90 | Waipahu, Hawaii |
Tamika Etherly | Psychology | Jr. | 3.60 | Tualatin, Ore. |
* Erin Higbie | Marketing | Sr. | 3.64 | Spokane, Wash. |
Iraide Juez Barona | Elementary Education | So. | 3.79 | Mallorca, Spain |
Rebecca Taylor | Education & Sport Science | Sr. | 3.61 | Kidderminster, United Kingdom |
Taylor Thompson | Biology | So. | 3.71 | Tucson, Ariz. |
Georgia Williams | Homeland Security | Sr. | 3.33 | Ashland, Ore. |
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
* Taylor Cunningham | Health & Human Performance - Teaching Option | Jr. | 3.59 | Spokane, Wash. |
*+ Taylor Edwards | Health & Human Performance - Human Performance Option | Sr. | 3.35 | Great Falls, Mont. |
*+ Brina Hull | Biology | Sr. | 3.56 | Colstrip, Mont. |
* Jeanann Lemelin | Public Relations | Jr. | 3.90 | Billings, Mont. |
*# Vanessa Stavish | Mathematics – Teaching Option | Sr. | 3.40 | Frenchtown, Mont. |
* Janessa Williams | Elementary Education | Jr. | 3.72 | Clancy, Mont. |
NORTHWEST NAZARENE | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
* Avery Albrecht | Marketing | Jr. | 3.70 | La Grande, Ore. |
+# Ellie Logan | Master’s of Business Administration | Sr. | 3.92 | Fossil, Ore. |
Carly Parker | Recreation & Sport Management | Sr. | 3.28 | Pocatello, Idaho |
* Maya Rodgers | Biology | Sr. | 3.46 | Meridian Idaho |
* McKenna Walker | Management | Sr. | 3.47 | Moses Lake, Wash. |
Zoe Wessels | Nutrition | Jr. | 3.60 | Council, Idaho |
SAINT MARTIN’S | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
*+ Rebekah Baugh | Business Administration | Sr. | 3.51 | Poulsbo, Wash. |
Sara Bowen | Accounting | So. | 3.81 | Lacey, Wash. |
*+ Emma Kennedy | Biology | Sr. | 3.71 | Spokane, Wash. |
*+ Mallory Kessler | Business Administration | Sr. | 3.49 | Ritzville, Wash. |
Marissa Miller | Criminology & Criminal Justice/Psychology | So. | 3.94 | Tucson, Ariz. |
* Makenna Schultz | Biology | Jr. | 3.29 | Lacey, Wash. |
Saniah Simpson-Patu | Sociology & Cultural Anthropology | So. | 3.38 | Las Vegas, Nev. |
SEATTLE PACIFIC | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
*+ Jaylee Albert | Business Administration | Sr. | 3.52 | Hamilton, Mont. |
Hailee Bennett | Accounting | So. | 3.85 | Kalispell, Mont. |
* Riley Evans | Communications | Sr. | 3.52 | Terrigal, Australia |
Madi Hingston | Business Administration | Jr. | 3.59 | Keizer, Ore. |
Cici West | Master’s of Arts in Management | Sr. | 3.85 | Seattle, Wash. |
SIMON FRASER | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
* Tayler Drynan | Business Administration | Jr. | 3.69 | Spokane, Wash. |
Jessica Jones | Criminology | So. | 3.85 | Richmond, B.C. |
Kendal Sands | Kinesiology | So. | 3.78 | Coquitlam, B.C. |
WESTERN OREGON | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
*+ Natalie DeLonge | Exercise Science | Sr. | 3.87 | Klamath Falls, Ore. |
Olivia Denton | Exercise Science | So. | 3.44 | Auburn, Wash. |
*+ Ali Nelke | Business | Sr. | 4.00 | Albany, Ore. |
Taisha Thomas | Business | Sr. | 3.24 | Honolulu, Hawaii |
WESTERN WASHINGTON | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
* Lexie Bland | Kinesiology | Jr. | 3.45 | Ellensburg, Wash. |
Dani Iwami | Environmental Studies | Jr. | 3.61 | Seal Beach, Calif. |
Kelsey Rogers | Biology | So. | 3.25 | Bothell, Wash. |
* - 2017-18 All-Academic Selection
+ - 2016-17 All-Academic Selection
# - 2015-16 All-Academic Selection