(Estherville, Iowa) Iowa Lakes Community College was recently honored by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) for academic achievements during the 2023-24 school year. Each year the NJCAA recognizes both teams and individuals for academic success based on grade point average (GPA) in three award classifications: NJCAA All-Academic First Team (4.00 GPA), NJCAA All-Academic Second Team (3.80-3.99 GPA), and NJCAA All-Academic Third Team. Six Iowa Lakes teams received honorable mention for earning a team cumulative grade point average above 3.0.
Men's Swimming- 3.36
Women's Soccer- 3.34
Softball- 3.28
Men's Soccer- 3.27
Volleyball- 3.21
Men's Golf- 3.07
Although not sanctioned through the NJCAA, two other Iowa Lakes teams also earned impressive cumulative GPAs worth recognizing, including Women's Sports Shooting with a 3.57 and Dance with a 3.28. Also worth noting women's swimming & diving with a 3.42, and women's golf with a 3.35 didn't meet the number of athletes required.
"We are thrilled to witness the remarkable number of teams and student-athletes being honored on the esteemed Academic All-American teams. Our coaches have done an exceptional job in recruiting top-notch student-athletes and nurturing their academic growth. Our Men's Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's Swimming, and Volleyball teams have all exhibited exceptional academic prowess, earning them the NJCAA academic teams of the year. Furthermore, it fills us with immense pride to see numerous athletes from each program being recognized individually, an impressive feat that reflects the dedication and excellence of our entire athletic department," expressed Athletic Director Troy Larson.
Below is a list of 50 Iowa-Lakes student-athletes recognized by the NJCAA for their 2023-24 individual academic achievement:
NJCAA All-Academic First Team (4.0 GPA)
Anthony Briza- Baseball
Diego Gonzalez- Baseball
Brendan McKelvey- Baseball
Jordyn Stokes- Women's Basketball
Darian Bradshaw- Men's Soccer
Lucas Catosso- Men's Soccer
Ethan Claridge- Men's Soccer
William Gonzalez- Men's Soccer
Narnnam Kongsappaisal- Men's Soccer
Andres Rodriguez Martinez- Men's Soccer
Rafael Selem- Men's Soccer
Keiji Sugiura- Men's Soccer
Matheus Torrez de Loreto- Men's Soccer
Izzy Bricheno- Women's Soccer
Nur Mecca Mohd Hazri- Women's Soccer
Stefanie Schmeisser- Women's Soccer
Brooklyn Bode- Softball
Abby Burgess- Softball
Pedro Brandao- Men's Swimming & Diving
Fischer Hawkins- Men's Wrestling
Justin Granum- Men's Wrestling
Jordan Grimes- Volleyball
Jenna Thom- Volleyball
NJCAA All-Academic Second Team (3.80-3.99 GPA)
Christian Prambs- Men's Golf
Faith Martin- Women's Soccer
Katharina Taschinski- Women's Soccer
Yuta Hirano- Men's Soccer
Francis Motsi- Men's Soccer
Kaito Obuchi- Men's Soccer
Joao Rodrigues Goncalves- Men's Swimming & Diving
Josiah Bundt- Men's Wrestling
Kenzie Lee- Volleyball
Hailey Shequen- Volleyball
NJCAA All-Academic Third Team (3.60-3.79 GPA)
Mason Hicks- Baseball
Miguel Pena- Baseball
Caden Sanders- Baseball
Drake Van Meter- Baseball
Jasmine Sawyer- Women's Soccer
Cayley Winters- Women's Soccer
Nizar Essekkat- Men's Soccer
Pedro Matos Bidu Costa- Men's Soccer
Tomas Merino- Men's Soccer
Lutho Mkaba- Men's Soccer
Pablo Rodriguez- Men's Soccer
Caleb Rubitschung- Men's Swimming & Diving
Rylee Valentine- Women's Swimming & Diving
Madison Goosmann- Softball
Jolene Jordahl- Softball
Felicity Sanders- Volleyball
MaKenzie Uribe- Volleyball
For a complete list of the 2023-24 NJCAA All-Academic Teams and Honorees, follow the link below: https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/k/8/i2bevogxzlm137/2023-24_NJCAA_Individual_All-Academic_Awards_-_Full_List_-_07-16-24.pdf
MEDIA: For more information, please contact Troy Larson, the Iowa Lakes Athletic Director, at (712) 362-7915 or the Iowa Lakes sports information office at (712) 362-7928.