In its first season as an affiliate member of
the Great West Conference in men's and women's outdoor track and women's
tennis, CSU Bakersfield has had eight Roadrunner student-athletes named to the
2011-12 Winter/Spring Academic All-Conference team as announced by the
conference on Wednesday.
Five members of the men's track and field team
received the academic honors, as did two women's track and field members and
one women's tennis player. Representing the men's track and field team are
Collin Ellis (R-Jr., Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS), Karnell Grimes
(R-Fr., Rosamond, Calif. Rosamonda HS), David Mitchell (R-Jr., Bakersfield,
Calif., Stockdale HS), Justus Mora (So., Sparks, Nev., Spanish Springs HS) and
Brandon Washington (R-Sr., Sanford, Fla., Seminole HS). Melisa Cruz (Jr.,
Bakersfield, Calif., West HS) and Princess Watts (Sr., Apple Valley, Calif.,
Granite Hills HS) earned spots from women's track and field, while Veronica Dimas (Sr., Mexico City, Mexico Tecnologico de Monterrey Campus Cuidad de
Mexico) was the lone representative from the CSUB tennis team.
In all, 228 Great West Conference athletes were
named to the team based on a minimum cumulative 3.2 grade point average. The
student-athletes also must have participated in 50 percent of their respective
team's contests. First-year students and JC transfers in the first year of
residence are not eligible for the award.
"Collegiate athletes face a big challenge to
find the balance between athletics and academics," said GWC Commissioner Ed
Grom. "The Great West has a high percentage of student-athletes who have found
that balance, and as our competitiveness against Division I institutions has
increased, so has the commitment to academics. I congratulate all our academic
all-conference honorees as they each have displayed the focus and commitment it
takes to be successful."
Ellis, a thrower, is majoring in Physical
Education and Kinesiology and recorded a 3.47 GPA. Grimes, a one-time CSUB
baseball player who converted to javelin this season, has a major in
biochemistry and posted a 3.36 GPA. Mitchell, a sprinter, is a mathematics
major who registered a 3.85 GPA. Mora, another sprinter, is majoring in
psychology and recorded a 3.73 GPA.
Washington, a hurdler and sprinter, majored in political science and earned a 3.27 GPA.
Cruz, a distance runner who competes for CSUB's
cross country and track squads, is a liberal studies major and recorded a 3.23
GPA. Watts, a sprinter, earned a 3.24 GPA and is majoring in public policy and
administration.
Dimas, who was the No. 1 singles player for the
tennis squad this year, majored in business administration and posted a GPA of
3.34.
~www.GoRunners.com~
