BLINN COLLEGE STUDENT ATHLETES EARN NUMEROUS NJCAA ACADEMIC HONORS
Fifty-four Buccaneer student-athletes earned NJCAA All-Academic recognition
The Blinn College District’s athletic programs have once again proven their commitment to academic success, with 12 teams and 54 student-athletes earning national recognition from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
Twelve Buccaneer teams were named 2024-25 NJCAA Academic Teams of the Year after posting a combined grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or higher, while 54 student-athletes earned individual NJCAA All-Academic honors.
“Year after year, our athletic programs and our student athletes continue to strive for greatness, both in their respective sports and in the classroom,” athletic director Scott Schumacher said. “Blinn College athletics continues to pride itself as a destination for athletic and academic success.”
Leading Blinn’s All-Academic teams was the Buccaneer women’s cross country team, which earned recognition in both cross country (3.49 GPA) and half marathon (3.74 GPA) categories. Several student-athletes qualified for the NJCAA’s half marathon academic award after competing in the 2024 NJCAA Women’s Half Marathon Championship.
Other programs recognized include:
- Women’s Golf – 3.47 GPA
- Softball – 3.40 GPA
- Volleyball – 3.38 GPA
- Women’s Soccer – 3.36 GPA
- Men’s Soccer – 3.26 GPA
- Baseball – 3.24 GPA
- Women’s Basketball – 3.19 GPA
- Men’s Golf – 3.08 GPA
- Men’s Basketball – 3.04 GPA
- Men’s Cross Country – 3.03 GPA
The 2024-25 academic year proved to be a banner year for Buccaneer athletics inside the classroom, as Blinn surpassed its five Academic Teams of the Year honorees from 2023-24.
Of the 54 Blinn athletes honored for their academic achievements, 14 achieved a 4.00 GPA and were named to the first-team list. Thirteen Bucs recorded a GPA between 3.80-3.99 for second-team honors, and 27 Blinn athletes made the third team with a GPA between 3.60-3.79.
Volleyball led the way with eight honorees, including four first-team awardees.
The honorees were as follows:
Volleyball (8)
Chloe Cavalier, first team; Karolina Karabasz, first team; Greta Rakow, first team; Bromli Watson, first team; Jana Cetkovic, third team; Leah Hoss, third team; Sophie Ilagan, third team; Lillie Thibodeaux, third team.
Men’s Soccer (7)
Nawfal Hadj-Hamou, first team; Philipp Mokwa, first team; Alfredo Morales Mendez, first team; Jesus Florencio, second team; Geoff Ojango, second team; Connor Vela, second team; Joseph Coyle, third team.
Women’s Soccer (7)
Marguerite Funk, first team; Brooke Assur, second team; Maria Espinel Coello, second team; Marissa Aparicio, third team; Elizabeth Carnes, third team; Samantha Rodriguez, third team; Ashlee Rodriguez, third team.
Baseball (6)
Kason Atkins, first team; Benji Berrera, second team; Seth Sloan, second team; Luke Ekdall, third team; Ryder McDaniel, third team; Ben Polleschultz, third team.
Softball (5)
Annie Beckendorf, first team; Riley Marek, second team; Brynn Gallamore, third team; T’Era Garrett, third team; Cadence Wiese, third team.
Women’s Cross Country and Half Marathon (3)
Juliana Jeansonne, first team; Clare White, second team; Mia Guillen, third team.
Men’s Cross Country and Half Marathon (2)
Fernando Garza, first team; Connor Walters, first team (half marathon), third team (cross country)
Competitive Cheerleading (4)
Sydney Junek, second team; Makala Rodriguez, second team; Payton Reed, third team; Carissa Ross, third team.
Women’s Golf (4)
Abigail O'Brien, first team; Lillie Webster, first team; Abiha Syed, second team; Daniah Syed, third team.
Football (3)
Caden Baldwin, third team; William Robinson, third team; Michael Thornton, third team.
Men’s Golf (2)
Volker Henkel, second team; Sir Jones, third team.
Women’s Basketball (2)
Wynter Jones, third team; Ja’Nya Thomas, third team.
Men’s Basketball (1)
Reese Miller, third team.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 53 national championships since 1987.
Story courtesy of Blinn Information