General | 8/28/2017 5:25:00 PM

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Flagler College had a record 42 of its student-athletes recognized by the Division II Athletics Directors Association (DII ADA) for their academic excellence while being an athlete. The Academic Achievement Awards is a program that recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the Division II level. Flagler was one of 10 Peach Belt Conference member institutions to have student-athletes honored.

One hundred eighty-three institutions sent in nominees for the 2016-17 Academic Achievement Awards, while a record total of 10,644 student-athletes were recognized this year. In order for a student-athlete to receive an Academic Achievement Award, the athletics director of the Division II institution must be a current dues paying member of the DII ADA.
 
Also, the student-athlete must: 1) have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale; 2) have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work; and 3) have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year.

The Peach Belt had a total of 354 student-athletes named to the list. The University of Montevallo led the way with 64 honorees while Georgia College finished second with 51. The University of North Georgia followed with 47. Following Flagler was the University of North Carolina Pembroke with 39 student-athletes. Armstrong State University and the University of South Carolina Aiken followed with 34 and 30, respectively. Francis Marion University (23), Georgia Southwestern State University (16) and Clayton State University (8) rounded out the field.   

Those earning the award from Flagler were: Michael Maiocco. MacLain Larson and Dylan Jones from baseball; Sam Mack and Andrew Smith from men's cross country; Juan Iturra and Jack Kegelmeyer from men's golf; Lex Craggs, Oscar Davidsson, Jackie Kay, Eamonn Moore and Cameron Silbar from men's soccer; Daniel Arrien and Willy Hasselberg from men's tennis; Mackenzie Conley, Garland Evans, Rachel Hudson, Megan Miller and Callie Reed from softball; Megan Hooks, Kayla Norelli, Rachel Porada, Tara Savisky and Genel Sturgeon from volleyball; Kierra Crane, Mandi Koski and Kara McKissack from women's basketball; Heloise Duffie de Tassigny, Rachel Nelson and Lauren Penkala from women's cross country; Miranda Greene, Pauline Tainton and Linn Weber from women's golf; Abby Austin, MC Bell, Racheal Cecil, Makensie Danaher, Brooke DeLauder, Maggie Glynn and Kaela Harmon from women's soccer; and, Mary Jo Nanti and Felicitas Runkel from women's tennis.

Jones, Maiocco, Kegelmeyer, Craggs, Conley, Weber and Harmon earned their third award from DII ADA while Mack, Silbar, Hudson, Danaher and Nanti repeat their honor from last year.

The DII ADA is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities; enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics; and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of Division II athletics directors.

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