ETSU paces SoCon with 80 Commissioner’s Medals; 29 Bucs record 4.0 GPAs in 2021-22

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (July 27, 2022) – A day after placing 66 student-athletes on the Southern Conference Spring All-Academic Team, ETSU landed 239 student-athletes on the SoCon Honor Roll, as the league office announced the full listing of academic honors on Wednesday.  

In total, 2,441 student-athletes from the 10 member institutions and 14 associate members earned SoCon Honor Roll distinction. The 2,441 selections are the third-most in SoCon history, trailing on the previous two academic years. 

The academic honor roll originated in 1988-89, when SoCon athletic directors established the award as a way to recognize the league’s outstanding student-athletes. The academic honor roll consists of student-athletes who participated in varsity sports, posted a 3.0 grade point average or higher for the academic year, were eligible the entire academic year and were members of the final squad lists. 

“Congratulations to these student-athletes for their exemplary academic achievement,” SoCon Commissioner Jim Schaus said. “This is a big deal. We value academic excellence in the Southern Conference just like we do success with our sports programs. Also, thanks to the outstanding campus academic support teams for these students.” 

ETSU’s 239 selections marks the sixth time in the last seven years that the Bucs have eclipsed the 200-mark in SoCon Honor Roll selections. Each of the SoCon’s 10 full members had at least 162 student-athletes on the list and six of them surpassed 200. 

The SoCon also announced its Commissioner’s Medal recipients and ETSU led the conference with 80 student-athletes garnering the prestigious honor. The medals are awarded to those who obtain a GPA of 3.8 or higher throughout the course of the year. ETSU also had 29 student-athletes record a perfect 4.0 GPA during this 2021-22 academic year. In total, 712 earned the Commissioner’s Medal, and 264 posted perfect 4.0 GPAs, matching the record set last year. 

Below is the list of the 29 Buccaneer student-athletes who had a 4.0 GPA. 

• David Beam – Baseball
• Kyle Richardson – Baseball
• Seth Bowden – Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field
• Mason Brandon – Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field
• Josh Krafsur – Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field
• Josh Routh – Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field
• Dylan Zeller – Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field
• Nate Adkins – Football
• Colton Lakes – Football
• Cole Morganstern – Football
• Algot Kleen – Men’s Golf
• Josh Hancock – Men’s Soccer
• Nolan Johnson – Men’s Track & Field
• Jada Ryce – Women’s Basketball
• Hannah Burkhart – Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field
• Rhyan Connolly – Women’s Soccer
• Raffaella Guiliano – Women’s Soccer
• Sarah Hill – Women’s Soccer
• Momoko Horiuchi – Women’s Soccer
• Kendall King – Women’s Soccer
• Rachel Reid – Women’s Soccer
• Andrea Sarhatt – Softball
• Ally Chernak – Softball
• MacKenzie Dyson – Softball
• Emilia Alfaro – Women’s Tennis
• Yunuen Elizarraras – Women’s Tennis
• Sara Esposito – Volleyball
• Taylor Roberts – Volleyball
• Abbey Thomas – Volleyball

ETSU football led the way with 49 student-athletes on the honor roll, while volleyball had all 17 players placed on the academic list. Men’s and women’s soccer and women’s cross country/track and field each had 24 student-athletes receive the award. Baseball landed 25 student-athletes on the honor roll, men’s cross country/track and field had 17 and softball had 15 earn the distinction.  

The sports with smaller roster sizes were led by women’s triathlon with eight, women’s basketball (7), men’s golf (7), men’s basketball (6), women’s tennis (6), women’s golf (5), and men’s tennis (5).

Across the league, football boasted the most student-athletes on the list with 403, followed by women’s soccer with 230 and women’s cross country/track & field with 204. The honor roll includes all 21 sports sponsored by the SoCon in 2021-22 as well as the non-sponsored sports of swimming and diving, water polo, triathlon, women’s lacrosse and beach volleyball.

For more information on Buccaneer athletics, visit ETSUBucs.com.