by ***press release per the MAC***
Cleveland, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced today the Distinguished Scholar Athletes from the seven fall sports during this 2019-20 academic season as 69 students were honored as the ‘best of the best’ from each sport’s All-MAC and Academic All-MAC Teams.
The Distinguished Scholar Athlete is a sixth-year award given to students who have excelled in athletics and academics.
Leading the way were 17 MAC football students named as Distinguished Scholar Athletes. MAC women’s field hockey had 13 selections and women’s soccer collected 12 honorees.
MAC women’s cross country and volleyball each had eight selections, while men’s soccer had six honorees and men’s cross country added five selections.
Following each season from the fall sports schedule, any student with a 3.20 GPA and participation in at least 50 percent of the contests was automatically named to the previously announced Academic All-MAC Team from each sport.
Also, first-year students, junior college transfers and graduate transfers in their first year of residence were not eligible for the award.
New for this season, the selection for the Distinguished Scholar Athlete included all student-athletes that were recognized as All-MAC selections and Academic All-MAC selections from their respective sport, along with maintaining a 3.50 GPA and above. Previously, a voting process among the MAC Faculty Athletic Representatives determined the selection of the Distinguished Scholar Athletes.
MAC membership voted for the change in recognizing the Distinguished Scholar Athletes during the Conference Spring meetings in June of 2019.
Later this winter and spring, the MAC will announce the Distinguished Scholar Athletes from the remaining 16 winter and spring sports sponsored by the Conference.
