CLEVELAND—Classes at Chico State will be starting up in just a few weeks, but before they begin to dig into their fall studies, a large number of Wildcat student-athletes are being recognized for their academic achievements during the 2020–21 academic year. The Division II Athletic Directors Association (D2 ADA) has announced its annual Academic Achievement Awards, with a record 82 'Cats included among 16,262 D-II student-athletes honored for their scholastic success.
The 82 D2 ADA honorees—the most ever by Chico State athletes in an academic year—continue the Wildcats' longstanding tradition of student-athletes consistently succeeding in their studies. Wildcat athletes have collected a minimum of 25 D2 ADA Academic Achievement Awards in every academic year since 2007–08.
The 188 institutions and 16,262 athletes honored shattered last year's previous D2 ADA record for the largest number of student-athletes being nominated since the award program's inception 14 years ago.
To earn a D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale, completed a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work, and have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year.
"It is incredible to think that our athletes excelled in the classroom despite having to deal with the many stressors associated with COVID-19," said Dr. Bren Stevens, Vice President for Athletics at the University of Charleston and current D2 ADA President. "To see once again that a record-breaking number of students are recipients of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award is simply astonishing. I am extraordinarily impressed by the efforts of our member institutions to ensure that they provide special recognition for their respective athletes, as they are certainly deserving."
Forty-two of the 82 Chico State recipients are repeat winners of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award. Wyatt Baxter of the Wildcat cross country and track & field teams, Nick Caputo of men's golf, Nicole Marquez of women's soccer, and Nora Pizzella and Alexandria Tucker of women's cross country/track & field were honored for the fourth year in a row.
Eleven other 'Cats—Mari DeStefani and Sarah Emigh (women's soccer), Isabella Moyer and Nadia Torkman (women's track & field), Aldo Perez (men's cross country/track & field), Anais Mayo (men's soccer), Shelby Burdette (softball), Makaela Keeve (volleyball), Natalie Kinney (women's golf), Vanessa Holland (women's basketball), and Talia Swangler (women's cross country/track & field)—received D2 ADA accolades for the third consecutive year.
Chico State student-athletes winning D2 ADA Academic Achievement Awards for the 2020–21 academic year include:
Baseball
Gabriel Arellano, Cole Arnold, Brendan Henry*, Gavin Kinney, Troy Maki*, Gerardo Sandoval*, and Josh Verdon*
Men's Basketball
Colby Orr* and Kevin Warren*
Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
Wyatt Baxter***, Pedro Cruz, Charles Giannini, Brian Hastings, Scott Kruetzfeldt*, Brayden McLaughlin, Joshua O'Neill, Aldo Perez**, Hunter Sweet, Cameron Tomlinson, Conor Wells, and Dylan White*
Men's Golf
Nick Caputo*** and Mark Noonan
Men's Soccer
Anais Mayo** and Cooper Renteria
Men's Track & Field
Payton Fuller, Ian Hackett, Anthony Kerrigan*, Kevin Telford*, and Bennett Yasin
Softball
Shelby Burdette**, Hannah Dardano, Grace Gallagher, Maddy Johnson*, Brooke Larsen*, Amanda Metzger*, and Alani Nguyen
Volleyball
Ali Collins, Zoe DiNardo, Emma Hirschkorn, Makaela Keeve**, Gretta Kirkby*, and Grace Shepherd
Women's Basketball
Caylee Hermanson, Vanessa Holland**, and Haley Ison*
Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
Esmeralda Aguayo Ruiz*, Jacqueline Cascione, Gracie Dupuis, Molly Mulay*, Naila Ortiz*, Jordan Poczobutt*, Nora Pizzella***, Talia Swangler**, Hannah Tiffany, and Alexandria Tucker***
Women's Golf
Kelsey Blaylock*, Natalie Kinney**, and Taylor Stewart
Women's Soccer
Hunter Casperson, Mari DeStefani**, Sarah Emigh**, Susanna Garcia*, Madeline Joseph, Camille Lidster, Kelli Litchfield, Nicole Marquez***, Amber Nunes, and Madison Parsons
Women's Track & Field
Ashley Brown, Ava Cavallaro, Lara Condosta*, Rebecca Graham*, Jessica Lee*, Jacqueline Massey-Blake*, Isabella Moyer**, Millierose Odurukwe, Victoria Ramirez*, Sellina Schillig, Chloe Taylor, Nadia Torkman**, and Kyndall Vargas
* – Two-time D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award winner
** – Three-time D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award winner
*** – Four-time D2ADA Academic Achievement Award winner
