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SoCon announces 2020-21 Academic All-Conference team
1,028 selections are second-most in an academic year in SoCon history
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Nine hundred and twenty-four student-athletes earned 1,028 spots on the 2020-21 Academic All-Southern Conference Team, the league office announced Wednesday.
“Academic excellence is a priority and a hallmark of the Southern Conference,” SoCon Commissioner Jim Schaus said. “Congratulations to the significant number of student-athletes that are being recognized. Winning on the athletic field is indeed special. But winning in the classroom can last a lifetime.”
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 semester of competition 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.
For the first time in 2020-21, just one academic all-conference team was selected, including all 22 SoCon-sponsored sports, due to the majority of competition taking place in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2015-16, separate fall and spring squads have been selected, while fall, winter and spring squads were selected from 2003-04 to 2014-15. A winter and a spring team were selected in 2002-03, the year the SoCon introduced the academic awards.
The 1,028 selections are the second-most for any academic year in SoCon history. This year’s total marks just the second time in league history that total selections for the year surpassed 1,000 and trail only last year’s total of 1,093, though it should be noted that because of the pandemic, some schools instituted measures of academic relief and participation requirements were relaxed for last year’s spring squad.
Thirty student-athletes earned the honor this year for cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field, while another 76 were recognized for two of those three sports.
Eight of the SoCon’s 10 full-time institutions had at least 75 honorees this academic year. Mercer led all schools with 130 spots on the academic all-conference team, followed by ETSU with 120 and Samford with 109. Wofford (99), Western Carolina (97), Chattanooga (90), Furman (87) and UNCG (75) also had at least 75.
Associate members for men’s and women’s lacrosse, rifle, men’s soccer and wrestling were also eligible for the award, accounting for 110 of the selections.
Fifty-five student-athletes combined for 57 4.0 cumulative GPAs, the most in a combined academic year in league history. The Citadel’s Tyler Duben (cross country, indoor track and field) and Mercer’s Marina Van Sickle (cross country, outdoor track and field) both boast perfect GPAs and were honored for multiple sports.
The league’s 10 women’s soccer programs combined to lead the way with 110 selections, followed by the nine football teams with 83 and 10 women’s outdoor track & field programs with 80.
“Academic excellence is a priority and a hallmark of the Southern Conference,” SoCon Commissioner Jim Schaus said. “Congratulations to the significant number of student-athletes that are being recognized. Winning on the athletic field is indeed special. But winning in the classroom can last a lifetime.”
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 semester of competition 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.
For the first time in 2020-21, just one academic all-conference team was selected, including all 22 SoCon-sponsored sports, due to the majority of competition taking place in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2015-16, separate fall and spring squads have been selected, while fall, winter and spring squads were selected from 2003-04 to 2014-15. A winter and a spring team were selected in 2002-03, the year the SoCon introduced the academic awards.
The 1,028 selections are the second-most for any academic year in SoCon history. This year’s total marks just the second time in league history that total selections for the year surpassed 1,000 and trail only last year’s total of 1,093, though it should be noted that because of the pandemic, some schools instituted measures of academic relief and participation requirements were relaxed for last year’s spring squad.
Thirty student-athletes earned the honor this year for cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field, while another 76 were recognized for two of those three sports.
Eight of the SoCon’s 10 full-time institutions had at least 75 honorees this academic year. Mercer led all schools with 130 spots on the academic all-conference team, followed by ETSU with 120 and Samford with 109. Wofford (99), Western Carolina (97), Chattanooga (90), Furman (87) and UNCG (75) also had at least 75.
Associate members for men’s and women’s lacrosse, rifle, men’s soccer and wrestling were also eligible for the award, accounting for 110 of the selections.
Fifty-five student-athletes combined for 57 4.0 cumulative GPAs, the most in a combined academic year in league history. The Citadel’s Tyler Duben (cross country, indoor track and field) and Mercer’s Marina Van Sickle (cross country, outdoor track and field) both boast perfect GPAs and were honored for multiple sports.
The league’s 10 women’s soccer programs combined to lead the way with 110 selections, followed by the nine football teams with 83 and 10 women’s outdoor track & field programs with 80.
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