Laker Nation News Lake Land College Athletes Achieve Honors Posted on August 31, 2018 Across Lake Land College’s sports teams, 25 students achieved athletic honors, and 16 students achieved academic honors. Three teams earned the 2018 NJCAA Academic Team honors for GPAs of 3.0 or higher. Women’s basketball’s GPA was as high as 3.45. Softball players Addison Baele of Mattoon and Molly McElwee of St. Joseph, both received 2018 NJCAA All-Academic First Team honors for 4.00 GPAs. Baseball players Sam Gubbins, Charleston, and Mitchell Shaw, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and volleyball player Emily Watson, Mattoon, were among athletes honored with the 2018 NJCAA All-Academic Second Team for 3.80-3.99 GPAs. Of the Athletic Sports Honors, Avery Jackson, Mattoon, achieved the NJCAA 3rd Team Academic All American, Division Two All-Region 24 Team, Great Rivers Athletic Conference All-Conference 1st Team, and Freshman of the Year honors. Both men’s basketball players Josh Jefferson, New Albany, Indiana, and Amel Kuljuhovic, Waterloo, Iowa, received the NJCAA Division One All-Region 24 and Great Rivers Athletic Conference All-Conference 1st Team honors. The NJCAA is the National Junior College Athletic Association dedicated to promoting and fostering two-year college athletics and ensuring equality among sports practices. The Great Rivers Athletic Conference is the section of the NJCAA that primarily encompasses Southern Illinois and contains nine colleges. Learn more about the association at ncjaa.org and the conference at gracsports.com. This year the following Laker student athletes and teams were honored: Lake Land College ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT HONORS 2017-2018 Academic Report 2018 NJCAA Academic Team (must have a team GPA of 3.00 or higher): Softball, Volleyball, Women’s Basketball 2018 NJCAA All-Academic First Team (athlete with 24 credit hours with 4.00 GPA): Addison Baele (Softball), Mattoon Molly McElwee (Softball), St. Joseph 2018 NJCAA All-Academic Second Team (athlete with 24 credit hours with 3.80-3.99 GPA): Madison Bostick (Softball), Stillwater, Utah Abigail Bush (Women Basketball), Brocton Jamie Sandschafer (Women Basketball), Teutopolis Callie Williams (Women Basketball), Fairbury Emily Watson (Volleyball), Mattoon Taylor Williams (Volleyball), Casey Deidra Schaal (Volleyball), Saint Peter Mitchell Shaw (Baseball), Colorado Springs, Colorado Sam Gubbins (Baseball), Charleston 2018 NJCAA All-Academic Third Team (athlete with 24 credit hours with 3.60-3.79 GPA): Kendall Hastings (Softball), Riverside Holly Marousek (Softball), Chicago Dakota Crowder (Women Basketball), Charleston Avery Jackson (Women Basketball), Mattoon Kelcie Darnell (Volleyball), Shelbyville Accumulative GPA of all of our athletes (102) for the 2017-2018 academic year: 3.09 By Sport: Women’s Basketball – 3.45 Softball – 3.31 Volleyball – 3.26 Men’s Basketball – 2.58 Baseball – 2.8 Cheer – 2.8 Total number of athletes achieving a 3.0 or higher GPA for the 2017-2018 academic year: 60 of 102 By sport: Softball (18 of 21) Baseball (8 of 24) Women’s Basketball (13 of 13) Volleyball (10 of 14) Men’s Basketball (4 of 17) Cheer (7 of 13) Athletic Sports Honors Season Records By Sport: Softball – 48/18 Women’s Basketball – 22/11 Men’s Basketball – 17/14 Volleyball – 15/24 Baseball – 13/33 Volleyball Team Honors NJCAA Academic Team Individual Honors and Awards NJCAA 2nd Team Academic All American: Emily Watson – Mattoon, Taylor Williams – Casey, Deidra Schaal – Saint Peter NJCAA 3rd Team academic All American: Kelcie Darnell – Shelbyville NJCAA Division One All-Region 24: Ryann Ambrose – Shelbyville, Alexandra Beckers – Mattoon Great Rivers Athletic Conference All-Conference 1st Team: Ryann Ambrose – Shelbyville, Alexandra Beckers – Mattoon Great Rivers Athletic Conference All-Conference 2nd Team: Brooklynn Elsas – Lincoln Great Rivers Athletic Conference Sportsmanship Award: Kristy Burford – Bethany Women’s Basketball Team Honors NJCAA Academic Team NJCAA Division Two Region 24 Runner-Up Individual Honors and Awards NJCAA 2nd Team Academic All American: Abigail Bush – Brocton, Jamie Sandschafer – Teutopolis, Callie Williams – Fairbury NJCAA 3rd Team Academic All American: Dakota Crowder – Charleston, Avery Jackson – Mattoon NJCAA Division Two All-Region 24 Team: Avery Jackson – Mattoon Great Rivers Athletic Conference All-Conference 1st Team: Avery Jackson – Mattoon Great Rivers Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year: Avery Jackson – Mattoon Men’s Basketball Individual Honors and Awards NJCAA Division One All-Region 24: Josh Jefferson – New Albany, Indiana, Amel Kuljuhovic – Waterloo, Iowa Great Rivers Athletic Conference All-Conference 1st Team: Josh Jefferson – New Albany, Indiana, Amel Kuljuhovic – Waterloo, Iowa Softball Team Honors NJCAA Academic Team NJCAA Division One National Tournament – 12th Place NJCAA Division One Region 24 Champions Individual Honors and Awards NJCAA Division One Region 24 Player of the Year: Holly Marousek – Chicago NJCAA Division One All-Region 24: Braylyn Burdick – Boonville, IN, Allison Helton – Colorado Springs, Colorado, Madeline Adams – Hobart, Indiana, Kendall Hastings – Riverside, Alina Lance – New Athens, Addison Baele – Mattoon Great Rivers Athletic Conference All-Conference: Alina Lance – New Athens, Addison Baele – Mattoon, Madeline Adams – Hobart, Indiana Baseball Individual Honors and Awards Great Rivers Athletic All Conference: Garrett Brachbill – Shelbyville Lakers Moving On Baseball Parker Nolan – Schaumburg – University of Indianapolis Brady Cappe – Brantford, Ontario, Canada – University of Pikeville Devon Still – Camby, Indiana – Columbia College Jake McClellan – Beloit, Wisconsin – University of Wisconsin La Crosse Bryan Melendez – Caguas, PR – Benedictine University Alex Moore – Lakeside, California – Central Methodist University Garrett Brachbill – Shelbyville – Eastern Illinois (Academic) Ben Sweeny – Charleston – Lincoln College Volleyball Kelcie Darnell – Shelbyville – Culver Stockton College Deidra Schaal – Saint Peter – Indiana State University (Academic) Hannah Koonce – Shelbyville – University of Illinois (Academic) Adora Gowin – Martinsville – Eastern Illinois (Academic) Claudia Watson – Shelbyville – Indiana State University (Academic) Emily Watson – Mattoon – Lake Land College Nursing (Academic) Ryann Ambrose – Shelbyville – Loyola Chicago (Academic) Men’s Basketball Josh Robinson – Normal – Central Methodist University Amel Kuljuhovic – Waterloo, Iowa – Cal State Fullerton Josh Jefferson – New Albany, Indiana – Illinois State University Sean Kromah – Smyrna, Tennessee – TBA Softball Maddy Adams – Hobart, Indiana – University of Illinois Haylee Short – Hillsboro, Missouri – University of Tennessee Martin Addison Baele – Mattoon – Liberty University Alina Lance – New Athens – Stoney brook University Holly Marouske – Chicago – Southern Illinois University Molly McElwee – St. Joseph – Police Academy (Academic) Kendall Hastings – Riverside – University of Illinois Chicago (Academic) Hope Collier – Effingham – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (Academic) Read More Laker Nation News