Bronco softball leads the MAC with 11 academic recognitions

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University's softball team tied Northern Illinois University with a league-best 11 recognitions in the Mid-American Conference's 2017 Softball Academic All-MAC team.

WMU's 2017 softball team

Eastern Michigan and Kent State universities followed with 10 apiece. In total, 89 softball student-athletes were honored.

All 11 Broncos will now be eligible to be voted as Distinguished Scholar-Athletes by the league, an award which began in 2015. Distinguished Scholar-Athletes will be announced later this year.

The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport and are not of freshman or first-year transfer status.

Of those on WMU's roster who met the minimum grade-eligibility status, 78.5 percent of the team was named Academic All-MAC. As an entire team, the Broncos had a 3.53 grade-point average for the spring semester and a 3.5 overall GPA for the entire 2016-17 academic year.

WMU Academic All-MAC

• Erin Binkowski, senior from Eaton Rapids, 3.39, studying sport management.
• Kelsea Cichocki, senior from McHenry, Illinois, 3.73, studying University Studies.
• Geordin Craun, junior from Romeo, 3.43, studying paper engineering.
• Jenna Faultersack, sophomore from Coloma, 3.54, studying sport management.
• Jordan Kurth, sophomore from Aurora, Illinois, 3.92, studying finance.
• Anissa Sanchez, junior from Pico Rivera, California, 3.65, studying accountancy.
• Ivy Schaaf, senior from Tawas, 3.56, studying marketing.
• Courtney Sleeman, sophomore from Zeeland, 3.21, studying sport management.
• Aspen Williams, junior from Cheboygan, 3.24, studying exercise science.
• Marlee Wilson, redshirt junior from South Haven, 3.96, studying graphic design.
• Brooke Wyman, sophomore from Kalamazoo, 3.65, studying sales and business marketing.

Learn more about WMU softball at wmubroncos.com.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.