Twelve Cardinals Named MAC Distinguished Scholar Athletes

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Twelve Ball State student-athletes from the winter sports season were named Thursday as Mid-American Conference Distinguished Scholar Athletes, recognized as the "best of the best" from their sports' Academic All-MAC teams.

Men's swimmer Tanner Barton and women's swimmer Jessica Extine earned Distinguished Scholar Athlete status for the third year in a row. The swimming and diving teams accounted for eight of the Cardinals' selections (five women and three men), while Ball State was also represented in women's indoor track and field, men's basketball and women's basketball.

Now in its third year, the Distinguished Scholar Athlete award honors those who have excelled in athletics and academics. Students with a GPA of at least 3.20 who participated in at least 50 percent of their teams' contests were named to the previously announced Academic All-MAC teams. Those honorees were then eligible for consideration by the league's faculty athletics representatives for the Distinguished Scholar Athlete award.

The number of selections for each sport is equivalent to the size of the all-conference first team in that sport or 33 percent of the nominees, whichever is greater. First-year students and junior college and graduate school transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible.

The 12 honorees from the winter season join a group of 17 Ball State student-athletes who received the award during the fall season. The spring honors will be announced at the conclusion of the athletic year.

2016-17 MAC Winter Sport Distinguished Scholar Athletes (Ball State)

Women's Indoor Track & Field
Regan Lewis, Ball State, Sophomore, 3.770 GPA, Pre-Nursing (Greenfield, Ind.)
*Gabby Sims, Ball State, Junior, 3.887 GPA, Elementary Education (Columbus, Ind.)

Men's Swimming & Diving
*^Tanner Barton, Ball State, Senior, 4.000 GPA, Health Science (Dublin, Ohio)
*Mitch Prather, Ball State, Senior, 3.925 GPA, Exercise Science (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Lane Sawyer, Ball State, Sophomore, 3.795 GPA, Nursing (North Vernon, Ind.)

Women's Swimming & Diving
*^Jessica Extine, Ball State, Senior, 3.769 GPA, Nursing (Muncie, Ind.)
Amanda Kedzierski, Ball State, Junior, 3.786 GPA, Meteorology (Irwin, Pa.)
*Allie Kolz, Ball State, Senior, 3.883 GPA, Elementary Education (Lindenhurst, Ill.)
*Courtney Mudd, Ball State, Senior, 3.688 GPA, Exercise Science (Fishers, Ind.)
*Traci Muszalski, Ball State, Junior, 3.773 GPA, Speech Language Pathology (Dyer, Ind.)

Men's Basketball
*Sean Sellers, Ball State, Junior, 3.567 GPA, Sport Administration (Greensburg, Ind.)

Women's Basketball
Carmen Grande, Ball State, Sophomore, 3.987 GPA, Industry and Technology (Madrid, Spain)

*2015-16 Distinguished Scholar Athlete
^2014-15 Distinguished Scholar Athlete

Twelve Cardinals Named MAC Distinguished Scholar Athletes

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