13 Chargers, Both XC Teams Earn NJCAA Academic Honors
Aaron Frey
Tuesday, July 2, 2019 1:52 PM
Athletics, Campus News
Galesburg, IL
Thirteen Carl Sandburg College student-athletes and two Chargers teams have earned academic awards from the NJCAA for their exceptional performances in the classroom during the 2018-19 season.
Individually, two Sandburg athletes earned NJCAA All-Academic First-Team honors for recording a perfect 4.0 grade point average, five received Second-Team honors (3.80-3.99 GPA) and six earned Third-Team honors (3.60-3.79 GPA).
Additionally, both Chargers cross country teams earned NJCAA Academic Team Honorable Mention for having a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.0. Teams with the highest GPA in each NJCAA sport were named an NJCAA Academic Team of the Year, with other qualifying teams earning honorable mention.
Six Chargers squads had at least one NJCAA All-Academic recipient, with women’s cross country, men’s cross country and baseball each having a Sandburg-best three representatives.
Sophomore softball player Madison Benge (Stronghurst, Ill./West Central) and sophomore men’s golfer Brady Grafton (Orion, Ill./Orion) both earned NJCAA All-Academic awards for the second year in a row. Benge had a 4.0 GPA each year to earn First-Team honors. Grafton earned a Second-Team spot this year after being on the Third Team as a freshman.
Sandburg’s women’s cross country team posted a 3.25 cumulative GPA, the highest of any Chargers squad in 2018-19. Five of the team’s seven runners — Carlie Barman (Woodhull, Ill./AlWood), Nancy Jebet (Eldoret, Kenya/Tulwo), Annadoria Ledbetter (Oneida, Ill./ROWVA), Annie Sholl (Carthage, Ill./Illini West) and Karen Tanui (Kenya) — had at least a 3.0 GPA to earn Academic All-Arrowhead Conference honors. Ledbetter (Second Team), Sholl (Second Team) and Barman (Third Team) also received NJCAA All-Academic awards.
The men’s cross country team recorded a 3.08 cumulative GPA as three Chargers — Andrew Hand (Woodhull, Ill./AlWood), Dixon Kiptoo (Eldoret, Kenya/Kipsangui) and Kevin White (Carthage, Ill./Illini West) — were Academic All-Arrowhead honorees. That same trio also earned NJCAA All-Academic awards, with White receiving First-Team honors and Hand and Kiptoo on the Second Team.
The following Sandburg teams and athletes earned 2018-19 NJCAA Academic Awards
(* denotes two-time honoree):
NJCAA ACADEMIC TEAM HONORABLE MENTION (minimum 3.0 GPA)
- Women’s cross country
- Men’s cross country
NJCAA ALL-ACADEMIC FIRST TEAM (4.00 GPA)
Men’s Cross Country
- Kevin White (Carthage, Ill./Illini West)
Softball
- Madison Benge (Stronghurst, Ill./West Central)*
NJCAA ALL-ACADEMIC SECOND TEAM (3.80-3.99 GPA)
Men’s Cross Country
- Andrew Hand (Woodhull, Ill./AlWood)
- Dixon Kiptoo (Eldoret, Kenya/Kipsangui)
Women’s Cross Country
- Annadoria Ledbetter (Oneida, Ill./ROWVA)
- Annie Sholl (Carthage, Ill./Illini West)
Men’s Golf
- Brady Grafton (Orion, Ill./Orion)*
NJCAA ALL-ACADEMIC THIRD TEAM (3.60-3.79 GPA)
Baseball
- Kennedy Gooding (Carthage, Ill./Illini West)
- Gavin Smith (Henry, Ill./Henry-Senachwine)
- Koy Smith (Revere, Mo./Canton)
Softball
- Rachel Barrington (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap)
Women’s Cross Country
- Carlie Barman (Woodhull, Ill./AlWood)
Men’s Basketball
- Elias Akale (Ashdod, Israel/Mekif Tet)
2018-19 NJCAA Student-Athlete Award recipients