No. 1 Baylor acrobatics & tumbling garnered 15 of the 39 selections for the 2017 Academic All-Big 12 At-Large Team, the league announced Tuesday.
The Bears had 12 placed on the first team and three on the second team to lead the league in total selections (15). BU’s first team honorees were junior Meredith Aldis, sophomore Makenah Cotner, senior Kaelyn Cowan, sophomore Ashley Echelberger, junior Molly Gibbons, senior Miranda Girouard, sophomore Bailey Hollier, sophomore Kati Horstmann, sophomore Gigi Mendoza, senior Kiara Nowlin, sophomore Allie Steele and sophomore Anna Webb, who was one of two on the list with a 4.00 GPA.
Baylor’s second team recipients were junior Ceara Smith, junior Madison Sorley and senior Allie Williams.
The team recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at Conference institutions that participate in sports outside of Big 12 competition. The sports included for the 2016-17 season are acrobatics & tumbling, men’s gymnastics, men’s soccer and rifle.
To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or over the two previous semesters, and must have participated in 60 percent of their team’s scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.
BAYLOR 2017 ACADEMIC All-BIG 12 AT-LARGE TEAM
First Team (3.20 GPA or better)
Meredith Aldis | Junior | Journalism – Public Relations | 2016, 2017
Makenah Cotner | Sophomore | CSD: Speech Pathology | 2017
Kaelyn Cowan | Senior | Speech Communications | 2015, 2016, 2017
Ashley Echelberger | Sophomore | Pre-Business | 2017
Molly Gibbons | Junior | Health, Kinesiology and Leisure | 2016, 2017
Miranda Girouard | Senior | Child and Family Studies | 2016, 2017
Bailey Hollier | Sophomore | Pre-Psychology | 2017
Kati Horstmann | Sophomore | Pre-Business | 2017
Gigi Mendoza | Sophomore | Special Ed | 2017
Kiara Nowlin | Senior | Journalism – Public Relations | 2015, 2016, 2017
Allie Steele | Sophomore | Pre-Business | 2017
Anna Webb | Sophomore | Pre-Business | 2017
Second Team (3.00-3.19 GPA)
Ceara Smith | Junior | International Studies | 2017
Madison Sorley | Junior | Sociology | 2016, 2017
Allie Williams | Senior | Health, Kinesiology and Leisure | 2014, 2017
