A school-record 22 Carl Sandburg College student-athletes earned academic awards from the NJCAA for their exceptional performances in the classroom during the 2019-20 season.
The total surpassed the previous Sandburg best of 19, set in 2015-16. Five Chargers athletes earned NJCAA All-Academic First Team honors for recording a perfect 4.0 grade point average, six received second-team honors (3.80-3.99 GPA) and 11 earned third-team honors (3.60-3.79 GPA).
Sandburg also had six sophomore student-athletes who earned NJCAA All-Academic honors each of the past two years.
Nine Chargers squads had at least one NJCAA All-Academic recipient, with volleyball having a Sandburg-best five representatives. Three of the Chargers’ honorees were multi-sport athletes.
The following Sandburg student-athletes earned 2019-20 NJCAA Academic Awards
(* denotes honoree each of last two years):
NJCAA ALL-ACADEMIC FIRST TEAM (4.00 GPA)
- Andrew Hand (Woodhull, Ill./AlWood), men’s cross country*
- Gavin Smith (Henry, Ill./Henry-Senachwine), baseball*
- Kevin White (Carthage, Ill./Illini West), men’s cross country*
- Trace White (Mount Pleasant, Iowa/Mount Pleasant), men’s golf
- Elizabeth Whitford (Dahinda, Ill./Galva), women’s golf
NJCAA ALL-ACADEMIC SECOND TEAM (3.80-3.99 GPA)
- Jacob Burg (Macomb, Ill./Macomb), baseball
- Tearaney Eads (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln), volleyball
- Antonio Ferreira (Cochal, Brazil/ETEC Prefeito Alberto Feres), men’s soccer
- Benjamin Higgins (Macomb, Ill./Macomb) baseball
- Dixon Kiptoo (Eldoret, Kenya/Kipsangui), men’s cross country*
- Annadoria Ledbetter (Oneida, Ill./ROWVA), women’s cross country*
NJCAA ALL-ACADEMIC THIRD TEAM (3.60-3.79 GPA)
- Rachel Barrington (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap), softball*
- Tanner Blum (Elmwood, Ill./Elmwood), men’s golf
- Austin Collinson (Normal, Ill./Normal West), baseball
- Mackenzie Connell (Monmouth, Ill./Monmouth-Roseville), volleyball
- Kelsey Hobson (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone), volleyball & softball
- Kelli Kennedy (Henry, Ill./Henry-Senachwine), women’s golf
- Rylee Krebsbach (Aledo, Ill./Sherrard), softball
- Annie McKim (Yates City, Ill./home-schooled), volleyball & women’s basketball
- Madison Newton (Erie, Ill./Erie), women’s golf
- Lucas Sueyoshi (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colegio San Jose Santa Andre), men’s soccer
- Julia Vosburgh (Woodstock, Ill./Woodstock), volleyball & softball
***Report Courtesy of Carl Sandburg College***
