Kat Pair Earn Major Academic Award
5/14/2016 12:48:00 PM | Women's Bowling, Women's Tennis, Bearkat Champions Fund
Janine Kuwahara from women's bowling and Maddie Mortimore from women's tennis have been named to the CoSIDA Academic Women's At-Large All-District Team, the College Sports Information Directors' Association announced Thursday.
All NCAA Division I women's student-athletes in the sports of tennis, golf, bowling, swimming, crew and gymnastics from universities in Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming who have compiled an overall grade point average of 3.30 on a 4-point scale are eligible for nomination. The district includes teams from the Big 12, Southeastern, American Athletic, Conference USA, Sun Belt, Big Sky and Southland Conference.
Sports information directors from university in the district vote for the team members. Only 12 student-athletes made the list of Academic All-District selections. Each now will be included on the ballot for 2015 Academic All-America honors.
Josh Reynolds from football was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District squad last fall. Sam Houston has had only 11 athletes named Academic All-District in 29 years of competition at the NCAA Division I level. Kurawara joins Lance Pevehouse as the Bearkats' only two-time award recipient. She received a similar honor last year as a sophomore.
An accounting major, Janine Kuwahara has compiled a perfect 4.0 grade point average during her five semesters at Sam Houston. She has been a President's List (4.0 semester GPA) and Dean's List student (3.0+ student) each of her semesters at the university.
A two-time National Tenpin Coaches Association All-America selected and this year's winner of the coveted Elite90 Award at the NCAA Bowling championships, she received the Sam Houston Women's Letterwinners Association SH Award as the university's outstanding female student-athlete. The award recognizes achievement both in competition and in the classroom.
Following graduation from Sam Houston, Kuwahara plans to do graduate work in accounting at a university in the United States. Her career goal is to become a certified public accountant.
Mortimore from Sam Houston earned All-Southland Conference women's tennis this spring after winning ten of her 11 matches in league play. For the season the senior from Farnham, Surrey in England compiled a 17-3 record in dual match play and a 26-7 combined won-loss slate in both tournament and dual match play. The 26 victories rank as the third highest single season individual win total in Bearkat tennis history.
Mortimore completed her four-year career with 63 singles victories, also the third highest total in Sam Houston women's tennis annals. Her 10 wins in league action ties a Bearkat season mark.
An economics and international business major with a perfect 4.0 four-year grade point average, Mortimore plans to attend graduate school following completion of her bachelor's degree.
Previous winners of the prestigious award from Sam Houston have been Kevin Riley (football 1993), Chad Scott (football 1997), Ryan Bright (men's basketball 2008), Jordan Bowersox (football 2009), Jenny Pence (soccer 2009), Josten Crow (men's basketball 2010), Lance Pevehouse (2010 and 2011), Alyssa Coggins (softball 2014) and Josh Reynolds (football 2015).
Sam Houston's 17 sports squads boast an outstanding record of academic success as well as championship results on the field and in the arena. The Bearkats produced a department high overall grade point average of 3.22 for the more than 400 Sam Houston student-athletes during the 2015 fall semester.
Building Champions results in more than winning games, it involves creating well-rounded student-athletes. To do this, resources such as the SHSU Learning Enhancement Center and the department's tutoring programs are important tools in assisting Kat student-athletes accomplish their goals in the classroom and in life. Support the Bearkat Champions Academic Fund to directly impact the future of more than 400 student-athletes at the BEARKAT CHAMPIONS ACADEMIC FUND link.
Players Mentioned
