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More than 60 KCC student athletes earn postseason academic awards

Kellogg Community College
A banner reading "Kellogg Community College Bruins" hangs on the gym wall over fans in the stands during a KCC home basketball game.

More than 60 individual student athletes from Kellogg Community College and five KCC athletic teams received postseason academic awards for excellence in the classroom during the 2024-25 academic year.

Awards include honors from the National Junior College Athletic Association and Michigan Community College Athletic Association, as well as Scholar Athlete of the Year awards from KCC’s Student Affairs Division.

Athletes from all nine KCC teams – baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s bowling, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball – are represented on this year’s postseason academic awards roster.

Honors awarded to KCC student athletes for their academic performance include the following awards:

  • The KCC Outstanding Scholar Athlete of the Year Award, for which a student athlete must demonstrate outstanding academic achievement as well as athletic success, exhibiting an outstanding GPA and more than 60 credit hours completed. The winners are nominated by their coaches. Just one female and one male scholar athlete are chosen for the award each year.
  • The NJCAA All-Academic First Team Award, for which a student athlete must have completed at least 24 credit hours in the last academic year and have a cumulative GPA of 4.0.
  • The NJCAA All-Academic Second Team Award, for which a student athlete must have completed at least 24 credit hours in the last academic year and have a cumulative GPA between 3.80 and 3.99.
  • The NJCAA All-Academic Third Team Award, for which a student athlete must have completed at least 24 credit hours in the last academic year and have a cumulative GPA between 3.60 and 3.79.
  • The Academic All-MCCAA Award, for which a student athlete must have completed at least 24 credit hours in the last academic year and have a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher.
  • The MCCAA Academic All-Conference Award, for which a student athlete must have completed at least 24 credit hours in the last academic year and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to 3.199.

Additionally, MCCAA All-Academic Team and NJCAA Academic Team of the Year honors were awarded to teams with a cumulative team GPA of 3.0 or higher. KCC’s baseball (3.55 GPA), women’s volleyball (3.42 GPA), women’s soccer (3.22 GPA), women’s basketball (3.21 GPA) and men’s bowling (3.15 GPA) teams were named to both lists.

Baseball

  • Isaiah Anderson, of Kalamazoo, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Payton Bookwalter, of Edwardsburg, NJCAA All-Academic Second Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Daniel Calhoun, of Portage, MCCAA Academic All-Conference
  • William Churchill, of Rochester Hills, NJCAA All-Academic Third Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Gavin Engelsman, of Rockford, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Drew Ferguson, of Rockford, NJCAA All-Academic Second Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Carter Gregg, of Brighton, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Jackson Haywood, of Battle Creek, All-MCCAA Award
  • Jacob Hindenach, of Paw Paw, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Fischer Holmes, of Schoolcraft, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Rhys Jenkyn, of London, Ontario, NJCAA All-Academic First Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Caleb Kidd, of Trenton, NJCAA All-Academic Third Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Gerry Klos, of Allen Park, MCCAA Academic All-Conference
  • Jake Kucharczyk, of Battle Creek, NJCAA All-Academic Second Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Kai McEachern, of Birmingham, NJCAA All-Academic Second Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Mason Meads, of Chelsea, NJCAA All-Academic Third Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Jayden Miller, of Battle Creek, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Tanner Olepa, of Canton, NJCAA All-Academic First Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • JT Sawdon, of Rochester, NJCAA All-Academic Second Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Adam Thuss, of Strathroy, Ontario, NJCAA All-Academic Third Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Hayden Winger, of Jenison, NJCAA All-Academic First Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • David Zilch, of Howell, NJCAA All-Academic First Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award

Men’s Basketball

  • Jakeem Cole, of Chicago, KCC Outstanding Male Scholar Athlete of the Year Award, NJCAA All-Academic Third Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Mikial Miller, of Indianapolis, Indiana, MCCAA Academic All-Conference
  • Michael Okello, of Herriman, Utah, NJCAA All-Academic Third Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award

Women’s Basketball

  • Samantha Atkinson, of Flint, NJCAA All-Academic Second Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Makayla Rain Birchett, of Dearborn Heights, MCCAA Academic All-Conference
  • Miriam Hibbard, of East Leroy, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Eliza Lake, of Battle Creek, NJCAA All-Academic Third Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Alyssa McCavit, of Quincy, NJCAA All-Academic Second Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Imani McCray, of Battle Creek, Academic All-MCCAA Award

Men’s Bowling

  • Carter Casarez, of Marshall, NJCAA All-Academic Third Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Brady Harper, of Coldwater, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Zachary LaPalme, of Battle Creek, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Cameron McKee, of Battle Creek, MCCAA Academic All-Conference

Women’s Bowling

  • Andraya Gordon, of Battle Creek, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Brooklyn Page, of Three Rivers, NJCAA All-Academic Third Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award

Men’s Cross Country

  • Zach Regis, of Hickory Corners, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Alex Steward, of Hastings, NJCAA All-Academic First Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award

Women’s Cross Country

  • Alexia Kryszewski, of Battle Creek, NJCAA All-Academic First Team
  • Brenna Withers, of Battle Creek, MCCAA Academic All-Conference

Women’s Soccer

  • Evelyn Alward, of Kalamazoo, NJCAA All-Academic Third Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Berlynn Conley, of Plainwell, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Aubrie Evans, of Gobles, NJCAA All-Academic Second Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Airanna Griecci, of Chelsea, NJCAA All-Academic First Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Emma Hawkins, of Durand, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Miriam Hibbard, of East Leroy, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Leah Kiss, of Olivet, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Reese Lessig, of Battle Creek, NJCAA All-Academic Second Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Sophia Saunders, of Otsego, KCC Outstanding Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Award, NJCAA All-Academic Third Team
  • Mallory Semelbauer, of Portage, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Jenna Vogel, of Battle Creek, MCCAA Academic All-Conference
  • Kayla Vogel, of Battle Creek, NJCAA All-Academic Second Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Kendall Wank, of Augusta, NJCAA All-Academic First Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award

Women’s Volleyball

  • Keira Alberts, of Olivet, MCCAA Academic All-Conference
  • Rylee Altman, of Battle Creek, NJCAA All-Academic Third Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Alaina Brubaker, of Athens, NJCAA All-Academic Third Team
  • Kate Doyle, of Battle Creek, NJCAA All-Academic First Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Makenzee Grimm, of Battle Creek, NJCAA All-Academic Second Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Antonia Keith, of Charlotte, NJCAA All-Academic Second Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Kara Priddy, of Olivet, NJCAA All-Academic Third Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • Anya Ruelas, of Kalamazoo, NJCAA All-Academic Third Team, Academic All-MCCAA Award
  • MacKenzy Warner, of Clare, Academic All-MCCAA Award

High-resolution photographs of each student athlete noted above can be downloaded at kelloggbruins.com or requested by emailing KCC Marketing Director Simon A. Thalmann at thalmanns@kellogg.edu.

For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online at https://daily.kellogg.edu/category/news-releases.