Oklahoma State University Athletics
Photo by: Charles Taylor
Cowgirls Lead Big 12 With 10 First-Team Academic Honorees
May 03, 2018 | Cowgirl Softball
IRVING, Texas – The Oklahoma State softball program continued to be one of the Big 12's best in the classroom in 2017-18 and 10 Cowgirls were honored for their efforts Thursday as first-team Academic All-Big 12 selections. Maddi Holcomb was also one of only four players in the conference honored with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
OSU's 10 honorees are the most first-team selections of any program in the conference this year.
The three highest totals for Academic All-Big 12 selections in Oklahoma State softball history have come during head coach Kenny Gajewski's first three years at the helm, with 10 players being in honored in 2016, 12 in 2017 and now 10 more in 2018.
Several prominent names dot the Academic All-Big 12 squad for OSU this year, highlighted by seniors Vanessa Shippy, Jessi Haffner, Randee O'Donnell and the previously mentioned Maddi Holcomb.
Thursday's announcement marks the third-straight year that the quartet of Cowgirls has been named to the Academic All-Big 12 team. They each earned first-team honors in all three seasons as well.
OSU's 32 Academic All-Big 12 honorees over the past three seasons paces the Big 12. Texas and Iowa State have been the second-most prominent programs on the Academic All-Big 12 teams the past three years, with both schools having 26 players recognized for their efforts in the classroom.
To earn a spot on the first-team Academic All-Big 12 squad, one must maintain a 3.20 or higher GPA either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 20 percent of their team's scheduled contests. Second-team selections hold a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.
The complete list of Cowgirls on the 2018 Academic All-Big 12 team:
Jessi Haffner
Maddi Holcomb*
Jamie Lowrie
Taylor Lynch
Madi Sue Montgomery
Randee O'Donnell
Taylor Pence
Vanessa Shippy
Mackenzie Thomas
Whitney Whitehorn
*Nominated with a perfect 4.0 grade point average
OSU's 10 honorees are the most first-team selections of any program in the conference this year.
The three highest totals for Academic All-Big 12 selections in Oklahoma State softball history have come during head coach Kenny Gajewski's first three years at the helm, with 10 players being in honored in 2016, 12 in 2017 and now 10 more in 2018.
Several prominent names dot the Academic All-Big 12 squad for OSU this year, highlighted by seniors Vanessa Shippy, Jessi Haffner, Randee O'Donnell and the previously mentioned Maddi Holcomb.
Thursday's announcement marks the third-straight year that the quartet of Cowgirls has been named to the Academic All-Big 12 team. They each earned first-team honors in all three seasons as well.
OSU's 32 Academic All-Big 12 honorees over the past three seasons paces the Big 12. Texas and Iowa State have been the second-most prominent programs on the Academic All-Big 12 teams the past three years, with both schools having 26 players recognized for their efforts in the classroom.
To earn a spot on the first-team Academic All-Big 12 squad, one must maintain a 3.20 or higher GPA either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 20 percent of their team's scheduled contests. Second-team selections hold a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.
The complete list of Cowgirls on the 2018 Academic All-Big 12 team:
Jessi Haffner
Maddi Holcomb*
Jamie Lowrie
Taylor Lynch
Madi Sue Montgomery
Randee O'Donnell
Taylor Pence
Vanessa Shippy
Mackenzie Thomas
Whitney Whitehorn
*Nominated with a perfect 4.0 grade point average
Friday, June 05
Friday, May 29
Wednesday, May 27
Monday, May 18
