To be named Academic All-Conference, student-athletes must have had a cumulative grade point average of 3.2, using the most recent GPA figures from the institution. The athletes also must have participated in at least 50 percent of their respective team's contests. First-year students and transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award.
Seattle U tied North Dakota for the most honorees in women's tennis with three, as senior Ariel Ohno (Kent, Wash.), junior Katrina Schwab (Spokane, Wash.), and sophomore Steffanie Mortera (Portland, Ore.) earned Academic All-Great West honors.
The Redhawks placed seven student-athletes from the men's track and field team on the Academic All-Great West team. Seniors Hans Heitzinger (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Michael Van Nuland (Newcastle, Wash.) are joined by juniors Erik Barkhaus (Whitefish Bay, Wis.), Ty Jaros (Eugene, Ore.), and Matthew McClement (Bellingham, Wash.), as well as sophomores Ryan Dennison (Pacifica, Calif.) and Kelton Sears (Maple Valley, Wash.).
On the women's side, 12 members of either the indoor or outdoor track and field squad earned placement on the Academic All-Great West squad. Seniors Clare Obradovich (Tigard, Ore.), Allison Prather (Carpinteria, Calif.), Rachel Purcell (Mission Viejo, Calif.), and Becca Urbany (Damascus, Ore.) picked up the honor alongside juniors Sarah Bolce (Sacramento, Calif.), Celeste Cassidy (Bellingham, Wash.), Elena Collins (Eugene, Ore.), Ashley Dalton (Bellingham, Wash.), and Ariel Johnson (Moscow, Idaho). Sophomores Meeghan Bergmann (Portland, Ore.), Lauren Hammerle (Seattle, Wash.), and Amanda Luna (Beavercreek, Ore.) picked up the academic recognition for the first time in their careers.
"The Great West provides opportunities for student-athletes of member institutions to win conference championships, but balancing athletics and academics is the biggest challenge facing everyone who competes in collegiate athletics," said Great West Conference Commissioner Ed Grom. "We have a high percentage of our student-athletes who have done a tremendous job in becoming successful in the classroom and on the athletic field. It takes a special person with strong focus and commitment to become academic all-conference and I applaud them all."
The Seattle University women's tennis and men's and women's track and field teams, along with the men's and women's cross country squads, will once again compete in the Great West Conference during the 2011-12 academic year. Those teams, along with all but two of Seattle University's squads, will join the Western Athletic Conference July 1, 2012.