Record 46 Chargers, 9 Teams Earn NJCAA Academic Awards

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Carl Sandburg College set a school record for the number of student-athletes and teams that received NJCAA academic awards for the 2021-22 school year.

The Chargers had 46 athletes take home NJCAA All-Academic honors for earning a GPA of at least 3.60. It marks the third straight year Sandburg has broken the school record for individuals receiving academic honors from the national office. The Chargers had 31 student-athletes earn the distinction in 2021 and 22 the year before that.

Eleven Chargers athletes were named NJCAA All-Academic First Team for recording a perfect 4.0 GPA. Another 11 Sandburg athletes received second-team honors (3.80-3.99 GPA) and 24 earned third-team honors (3.60-3.79 GPA).

All 10 Chargers teams had at least one player earn a spot on the NJCAA All-Academic team, with baseball and volleyball tying for the most with 10 apiece. Four of Sandburg’s honorees participated in multiple sports, and eight Chargers earned NJCAA All-Academic honors for the second consecutive year.

Additionally, Sandburg had nine of its 10 squads recognized as a 2021-22 NJCAA Academic Team of the Year for posting a combined grade point average of at least 3.0.

All five of Sandburg’s women’s programs (basketball, cross country, golf, softball and volleyball) and four of the Chargers’ men’s programs (baseball, basketball, cross country and soccer) were named Academic Teams of the Year. Women’s basketball had the highest team GPA at 3.49, edging women’s cross country (3.48) and softball (3.43).

The following Sandburg student-athletes and teams earned 2021-22 NJCAA Academic Awards
(* denotes individual honoree each of last two years):

NJCAA ALL-ACADEMIC FIRST TEAM (4.00 GPA)

  • McKoy Allen (Rutland, Ill./Fieldcrest), freshman, baseball
  • Matheus Andrade (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Brasil Objectivo), sophomore, men’s soccer*
  • Abbey Donaldson (Bushnell, Ill./Bushnell-Prairie City), freshman, women’s basketball
  • Reagan Eaves (Nauvoo, Ill./Warsaw), freshman, volleyball and softball
  • Silas Israel (Tremont, Ill./Tremont), freshman, baseball
  • Neemias Moreira (Uberlandia, Brazil/EE Messias Pedreiro), freshman, men’s soccer
  • Bryce Nordstrom (Toluca, Ill./Fieldcrest), freshman, baseball
  • Noah Nordstrom (Toluca, Ill./Fieldcrest), freshman, baseball
  • Natalie Righi (Pekin, Ill./Pekin), freshman, volleyball, women’s golf, women’s basketball and softball
  • Griffin Ronnebeck (East Moline, Ill./United Township), sophomore, men’s basketball*
  • Brooklyn Walker (Burnside, Ill./Warsaw), freshman, softball

NJCAA ALL-ACADEMIC SECOND TEAM (3.80-3.99 GPA)

  • Carmyn Baldwin (Lewistown, Ill./Lewistown), sophomore, volleyball*
  • Maddi Benson (Spring Bay, Ill./Metamora), sophomore, softball*
  • Alycea Burnett (Knoxville, Ill./Knoxville), freshman, softball
  • Emily Cash (Yates City, Ill./Farmington), sophomore, women’s basketball*
  • Jean Forestal (Ocoee, Fla./Ocoee), freshman, men’s soccer
  • Pedronel Herrera (Cali, Colombia/Colegio Claret), sophomore, men’s soccer
  • Courtney Hinton (Monmouth, Ill./United), sophomore, volleyball*
  • Jason Hise (Knoxville, Ill./Knoxville), freshman, baseball and men’s basketball
  • Kyle Neacy (Bunbury, Australia/SEDA), sophomore, men’s soccer
  • Dharma Tripp (Niota, Ill./Warsaw), freshman, volleyball
  • Mercy Jerono (Kenya/Sing’Ore Girls’ Secondary), freshman, women’s cross country

NJCAA ALL-ACADEMIC THIRD TEAM (3.60-3.79 GPA)

  • Jacob Abenroth (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap), freshman, baseball
  • Connor Barnett (Fulton, Ill./Fulton) freshman, men’s basketball
  • Lilly Blackford (Peoria, Ill./Notre Dame), freshman, women’s basketball
  • Guylberson Camille (Key West, Fla./Key West), sophomore, men’s soccer
  • Natalie Cantwell (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg), freshman, volleyball
  • Mackenzie Catton (Mapleton, Ill./Limestone), sophomore, women’s basketball
  • Hunter Caves (Alburnett, Iowa/Alburnett), freshman, men’s basketball
  • Megan Crome (Marshall, Ill./Marshall), sophomore, volleyball*
  • Ian Donaldson (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap), freshman, baseball
  • Addison Eger (Mendon, Ill./Unity), sophomore, women’s basketball*
  • Yousef Elberngi (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook), sophomore, men’s soccer
  • Babra Jepkirui (Kenya/ St. Teresa Girls’ Secondary), freshman, women’s cross country
  • Joey Jockisch (Peoria, Ill./Notre Dame), freshman, baseball
  • Brian Kipchemis (Kenya/Segero Adventist), freshman, men’s cross country
  • Faith Kiprop (Kenya/AIC Kessup Girls), freshman, women’s cross country
  • Mattie Lower (Aledo, Ill./Rockridge), freshman, women’s basketball
  • Jasmin McDaniel (Peoria, Ill./Richwoods), freshman, volleyball
  • Mary Njuguna (Kenya/Turbo Girls Secondary), freshman, women’s cross country
  • Santiago Palacio (Cali, Colombia/Colegio La Arboleda), freshman, men’s soccer
  • Gracie Rademacker (Green Valley, Ill./Midwest Central), sophomore, softball and volleyball
  • Eric Schumacher (Bremen, Germany/Alfred-Faust-Strabe), freshman, men’s soccer
  • Kyndal Townsley (Winfield, Iowa/Mount Union), freshman, volleyball
  • Max Wallace (Champaign, Ill./Centennial), freshman, baseball
  • Chase Williams (Princeville, Ill./Princeville), freshman, baseball

NJCAA ACADEMIC TEAMS OF THE YEAR (MINIMUM 3.0 GPA)

  • Women’s basketball — 3.49
  • Women’s cross country — 3.48
  • Softball — 3.43
  • Volleyball — 3.41
  • Women’s golf — 3.35
  • Men’s soccer — 3.14
  • Men’s cross country — 3.11
  • Men’s basketball — 3.10
  • Baseball — 3.08

***Courtesy of Carl Sandburg College***

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