By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, Ohio---The Owens Community College athletic program placed 42 student-athletes on the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference's (OCCAC) All-Academic team this year, which shatters the previous record for most in one season.
Of the 158 student-athletes in the conference to make the team overall, 26.5 percent of them came from Owens. The total number breaks last year's record of 33, and the next closest school behind Owens this year was Sinclair Community College with 27.
Additionally, 16 student-athletes within the conference earned a 4.0 GPA, and seven of them came from Owens. Those students are Karit Kitipongpatana (St. Dominic School/Bangkok, Thailand), Will Mullins (St. Bernadette's/Bristol, United Kingdom), Joseph Swager (Continental/Continental, Ohio), Jessica Kreger (Bedford/Temperance, Mich.), Lynzee Richardson (Napoleon/Napoleon, Ohio), Ally Mikesell (St. Henry/St. Henry, Ohio) and Mikayla Ward (Huron/Ypsilanti, Mich.).
At least one member of every sport at Owens made the team.
Leading all the Owens programs in most selections was baseball, which had 11 members make the team. Another spring sport, softball, also did well with six selections, which tied Cuyahoga for most in the conference in that sport.
Two more impressive performances at Owens came from the volleyball and men's golf teams. The volleyball program placed seven of its 13 members on the team, while men's golf placed five of its 10 roster members on the team.
In terms of men's golf, the five members of the team also all placed within the conference's top seven golfers on the course. In terms of volleyball, all four of the All-OCCAC members from Owens also made the academic all-conference team.
The Owens men's basketball team placed two members on the team, which led all schools in the conference. Other teams from Owens to either tie or lead the conference in their respective sport for most members were softball, women's volleyball, women's soccer and men's golf.
Furthermore, the Owens women's soccer team had six of the conference's 10 recipients in that sport.
In order to make the team, a student-athlete must have completed 24 credit hours with at least a 3.30 GPA in the academic year.
For a full list of this year's recipients, click here
Notes
This will be the final year of the conference's All-Academic team as it currently is. Next year, the conference will split it into a Fall All-Academic team and a Spring All-Academic team.
Stay tuned for an announcement on NJCAA Individual and Team Academic Award recipients in the next 1-2 weeks.