SoCon announces Spring Academic All-Conference team

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Four hundred and eighty-seven student-athletes earned a league-record 571 spots on the Spring 2018 Academic All-Southern Conference Team, the league office announced Monday.

The 571 selections are the most for any academic all-conference team in the history of the SoCon, which began selecting teams in the winter of 2002-03 and selected fall, winter and spring teams through 2014-15. Beginning in 2015-16, the winter and spring teams were combined, with those student-athletes honored after the spring semester. The previous record was 479 selections in spring of 2017.

Eighty-four student-athletes earned the honor for both indoor and outdoor track and field.

Eight of the SoCon’s 10 full-time institutions had at least 46 honorees this year, representing the sports of men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, rifle, wrestling, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s tennis, baseball and softball. 

Associate members for men’s and women’s lacrosse, rifle and wrestling were also eligible for the award, accounting for 87 of the selections.

To be eligible for the academic all-conference team, student-athletes must carry at least a 3.3 cumulative grade point average at the conclusion of the spring semester and were required to compete in at least one-half of their teams’ competitions. In addition, the student-athletes must have successfully completed at least three semesters at their institutions, making true freshmen and first-year transfers ineligible for inclusion.

Thirty-two student-athletes combined for 38 of the perfect 4.0 cumulative GPAs. That total is also a league record, surpassing the 22 from the spring team in 2016.

The league’s 10 women’s outdoor track and field programs led the way with 72 academic all-conference selections, while the nine women’s indoor track and field programs produced 53 and the nine baseball programs had 51.

Mercer led all schools with 71 spots on the academic all-conference team, followed by Western Carolina with 62 selections and The Citadel with 58.

-www.SoConSports.com-