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Seven Gophers Earn Academic All-District Honors
5/31/2022 9:42:00 AM | Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
MINNEAPOLIS – The University of Minnesota led CoSIDA's District 6 with the most men's and women's Academic All-District team members with three being named on the men's side and four on the women's, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Alec Basten and Bethany Hasz led the way as returners of the honor while Owen Hoeft, Kaleb Siekmeier, Abby Kohut-Jackson, Val Larson and Abigail Schaaffe all additionally represented the Maroon and Gold. The University of Minnesota now has had 25 representatives on the CoSIDA All-District teams this athletic year.
Recognizing the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in competition and in the classroom, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at their current institution in order to be nominated for CoSIDA Academic All-District and CoSIDA Academic All-America. Nominees are voted on by CoSIDA members throughout the year.
A native of Green Bay, Wis., Basten earned his fifth All-District accolade. The four-time All-American is the back-to-back Big Ten champion in the 3000m steeplechase and the 2021 NCAA runner-up in the same event before finishing 10th in the event at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. The three-time All-Big Ten pick owns four Gophers records – the indoor 3,000 meters, the outdoor 5,000 meters, the 3,000 meter steeplechase and the 8K in cross country. The 2021 NCAA Indoor Elite 90 Award winner is also an nine-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and an eight-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
A native of Alexandria, Minn., Hasz is now a four-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree. A six-time All-American between track & field and cross country. The two-time NCAA Midwest Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year is a eight-time All-Big Ten pick and is a two-time Big Ten Athlete of the Year in Cross Country and also won the honor during the 2021 indoor season. Hasz is the owner of nine different top 10 times in school history in track and field including four school records. She's won four different Big Ten titles in her career in cross country and track and field and was the 2021 NCAA Indoor Elite 90 Award winner. She's been honored academically an additional 16 different times by non-CoSIDA organizations in her career and is an eight-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
Hailing from St. Mary, Jamaica, Schaaffe has been one of the most successful Gophers in history in her first two seasons in Minneapolis. She holds two school records, both of which were set this year, in the 4x400m relay. She's won five Big Ten Championships since joining the Gophers, including two this season in the indoor 4x400m relay and the 400m hurdles just a few weeks ago in front of the home crowd in Minneapolis. She's a two-time All-American in the 4x400m relay, and holds eight different top 10 times in school history. She's earned eight different All-Big Ten honors since joining the program, and qualified for the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 400m hurdles for the first time last weekend.
A native of Golden Valley, Minn., Hoeft earned All-America honors in the distance medley relay in 2020 and closed out his 2021 campaign as the Big Ten champion and a First Team All-Big Ten pick in the mile. The second generation Gopher is an eight-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and has twice been honored by the USTFCCCA. He's a six-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and currently holds two top 10 times in program history in the 1500m and the 5000m.
A native of Huxley, Iowa, Kohut-Jackson is an nine-time Academic All-Big Ten selection as well as an eight-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. She earned Second Team All-America honors in 2021 and was the NCAA Midwest Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. A four-time All-Big Ten pick, Kohut-Jackson finished her best cross country season this past fall with a 39th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, making her an All-American in the sport for the first time. In 2021 she won two Big Ten titles in the indoor distance medley relay and the 3000 meter steeplechase – she also owns school records in both events as well as in one relay. In 2021 she also finished 19th at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 3000m steeplechase.
A native of DeForest, Wis., Larson is a three-time All-American and a seven-time All-Big Ten honoree. She's won four Big Ten Championships in her career, including one this season in the indoor 4x400m relay. She won three additioanl titles in 2021 – the indoor 4x400 meter relay, the indoor distance medley relay and the outdoor 4x400 meter relay. Larson is also part owner of the University of Minnesota record for the indoor and outdoor 4x400 meter relay with her latest record coming just last weekend at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds that is sending the relay team back to Eugene. She is a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and a four-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
A native of Mahtomedi, Minn., Siekmeier is a two-time All-America selection for the Gophers in the weight throw including First Team accolades in 2021. He qualified for the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championshps in discus last weekend, and will compete in Eugene in June. The second generation 'U' thrower earned a pair of Second Team All-Big Ten honors in 2021 in the weight throw and the discus. He is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
2021-22 Gopher Academic All-District Selections (25)
Alec Basten (TF/CC)
Owen Hoeft (TF/CC)
Kaleb Siekmeier (TF/CC)
Bethany Hasz (TF/CC)
Abby Kohut-Jackson (TF/CC)
Val Larson (TF/CC)
Abigail Schaaffe (TF/CC)
Lindsay Eliasen (Rowing)
Taylor Heise (Women's Hockey)
Ona Loper (Gymnastics)
Ben Meyers (Men's Hockey)
Lexy Ramler (Gymnastics)
Blaise Andries (Football)
Conner Olson (Football)
Jack Gibbens (Football)
Ellie Husemann (Volleyball)
Melani Shaffmaster (Volleyball)
Jenna Wenaas (Volleyball)
Sophia Boman (Soccer)
McKenna Buisman (Soccer)
Autumn Pease (Softball)
Natalie DenHartog (Softball)
Chase Stanke (Baseball)
Jack Kelly (Baseball)
Drew Stahl (Baseball)
Alec Basten and Bethany Hasz led the way as returners of the honor while Owen Hoeft, Kaleb Siekmeier, Abby Kohut-Jackson, Val Larson and Abigail Schaaffe all additionally represented the Maroon and Gold. The University of Minnesota now has had 25 representatives on the CoSIDA All-District teams this athletic year.
Recognizing the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in competition and in the classroom, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at their current institution in order to be nominated for CoSIDA Academic All-District and CoSIDA Academic All-America. Nominees are voted on by CoSIDA members throughout the year.
A native of Green Bay, Wis., Basten earned his fifth All-District accolade. The four-time All-American is the back-to-back Big Ten champion in the 3000m steeplechase and the 2021 NCAA runner-up in the same event before finishing 10th in the event at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. The three-time All-Big Ten pick owns four Gophers records – the indoor 3,000 meters, the outdoor 5,000 meters, the 3,000 meter steeplechase and the 8K in cross country. The 2021 NCAA Indoor Elite 90 Award winner is also an nine-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and an eight-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
A native of Alexandria, Minn., Hasz is now a four-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree. A six-time All-American between track & field and cross country. The two-time NCAA Midwest Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year is a eight-time All-Big Ten pick and is a two-time Big Ten Athlete of the Year in Cross Country and also won the honor during the 2021 indoor season. Hasz is the owner of nine different top 10 times in school history in track and field including four school records. She's won four different Big Ten titles in her career in cross country and track and field and was the 2021 NCAA Indoor Elite 90 Award winner. She's been honored academically an additional 16 different times by non-CoSIDA organizations in her career and is an eight-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
Hailing from St. Mary, Jamaica, Schaaffe has been one of the most successful Gophers in history in her first two seasons in Minneapolis. She holds two school records, both of which were set this year, in the 4x400m relay. She's won five Big Ten Championships since joining the Gophers, including two this season in the indoor 4x400m relay and the 400m hurdles just a few weeks ago in front of the home crowd in Minneapolis. She's a two-time All-American in the 4x400m relay, and holds eight different top 10 times in school history. She's earned eight different All-Big Ten honors since joining the program, and qualified for the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 400m hurdles for the first time last weekend.
A native of Golden Valley, Minn., Hoeft earned All-America honors in the distance medley relay in 2020 and closed out his 2021 campaign as the Big Ten champion and a First Team All-Big Ten pick in the mile. The second generation Gopher is an eight-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and has twice been honored by the USTFCCCA. He's a six-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and currently holds two top 10 times in program history in the 1500m and the 5000m.
A native of Huxley, Iowa, Kohut-Jackson is an nine-time Academic All-Big Ten selection as well as an eight-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. She earned Second Team All-America honors in 2021 and was the NCAA Midwest Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. A four-time All-Big Ten pick, Kohut-Jackson finished her best cross country season this past fall with a 39th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, making her an All-American in the sport for the first time. In 2021 she won two Big Ten titles in the indoor distance medley relay and the 3000 meter steeplechase – she also owns school records in both events as well as in one relay. In 2021 she also finished 19th at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 3000m steeplechase.
A native of DeForest, Wis., Larson is a three-time All-American and a seven-time All-Big Ten honoree. She's won four Big Ten Championships in her career, including one this season in the indoor 4x400m relay. She won three additioanl titles in 2021 – the indoor 4x400 meter relay, the indoor distance medley relay and the outdoor 4x400 meter relay. Larson is also part owner of the University of Minnesota record for the indoor and outdoor 4x400 meter relay with her latest record coming just last weekend at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds that is sending the relay team back to Eugene. She is a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and a four-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
A native of Mahtomedi, Minn., Siekmeier is a two-time All-America selection for the Gophers in the weight throw including First Team accolades in 2021. He qualified for the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championshps in discus last weekend, and will compete in Eugene in June. The second generation 'U' thrower earned a pair of Second Team All-Big Ten honors in 2021 in the weight throw and the discus. He is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
2021-22 Gopher Academic All-District Selections (25)
Alec Basten (TF/CC)
Owen Hoeft (TF/CC)
Kaleb Siekmeier (TF/CC)
Bethany Hasz (TF/CC)
Abby Kohut-Jackson (TF/CC)
Val Larson (TF/CC)
Abigail Schaaffe (TF/CC)
Lindsay Eliasen (Rowing)
Taylor Heise (Women's Hockey)
Ona Loper (Gymnastics)
Ben Meyers (Men's Hockey)
Lexy Ramler (Gymnastics)
Blaise Andries (Football)
Conner Olson (Football)
Jack Gibbens (Football)
Ellie Husemann (Volleyball)
Melani Shaffmaster (Volleyball)
Jenna Wenaas (Volleyball)
Sophia Boman (Soccer)
McKenna Buisman (Soccer)
Autumn Pease (Softball)
Natalie DenHartog (Softball)
Chase Stanke (Baseball)
Jack Kelly (Baseball)
Drew Stahl (Baseball)
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