Columbia, Mo. - As a part of the annual National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Awards Day, the Cougar athletic department is proud to announce that a total of 16 teams have been named NAIA Scholar Teams for the 2019-20 school year. Individual student-athletes also earned Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete accolades. The day recognizes the association's highest individual honors and achievements of NAIA student-athletes, administrators and coaches.
 
In total, 66 individual Columbia College student-athletes were recognized for their achievements in the classroom. In addition to their academic success, the Cougars finished the 2019-20 academic year with a winning percentage of over 80% on the courts and fields.
 
NAIA Scholar Team awards are given to those teams who have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in the given year. The following Columbia College squads earned this prestigious honor in 2019-20; men's and women's basketball, women's soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, baseball, softball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's cross country, bowling, men's and women's indoor track and field, and men's and women's outdoor track and field.
 
The men's basketball team held a GPA of 3.1 while making it to the American Midwest Conference (AMC) Tournament Semifinals last season with an overall record of 20-12. Jack Fritsche and Jorge Bueno both received NAIA Scholar-Athlete accolades this season.
 
The Columbia College women's basketball team also made it to the semifinals of the AMC tournament, while earning a fourth seed at the NAIA National Championships. Their overall record was 25-7 in the 2019-20 season, holding a team GPA of 3.5. Skyler Beeson, Abigayle Feeney, and Raegan Wieser each earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors following the season.
 
The Cougar women's soccer squad finished the 2019 season with a fifth straight AMC title, while also making it to the second round of the NAIA National Championships. Their overall record was 19-4 while also holding a 3.5 GPA. Recipients of the NAIA Scholar-Athlete award included Allison Floyd, Megan Floyd, Chloe Hall, Ellie Hilton, Mallory Holzer, Abigail Meyer, Kelsey Mirts, Lucy Kingsley, Molly Klein, Emma Laney, and Kaitlyn Tambke.
 
Anthony Sobolevsky and Nick Filla represented the men's soccer team with Scholar-Athlete honors.
 
The women's volleyball team recorded a final record of 29-6 in the 2019 season along with a 3.2 GPA. The Cougars also made it to the NAIA National Championships in Sioux City, Iowa. Erika Miller and Sidney Branson were named NAIA Scholar-Athlete for the Cougars.
 
The men's lacrosse team had an overall record of 4-1 and a ranking of No. 5 in the 2020 season. The team also recorded a 3.1 GPA. Tyler Parrott and Riley McDermont achieved NAIA Scholar accolades this season.
 
Cougar baseball posted a 16-5 record in the 2020 season while also earning a 3.2 GPA. Eight NAIA Scholar-Athletes were named including Tanner Beatty, Riley Poulton, JP Schneider, Hayden Ludwig, Reid Browning, Kenny Piper, Ward Mershon, and Jake Kindle.
 
The Columbia College softball team documented a 12-2 season record during the 2020 season, holding a team GPA of 3.5. Nine Cougars earned Scholar-Athlete honors; Avgustina Arbova, Karolina Arbova, Madison Ramsey, Mackenzie Kasarda, Kacy Bergfeld, Jaymi Freeman, Lexi Dickerson, Allison Keen, and Elizabeth Schimpf.
 
Women's golfers Emily Strunck, Cassidy McAlpine, Haleigh Berrey, and Emma Chedwick each earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors. The women's golf squad competed in one tournament in the 2020 season, and achieved a 3.6 GPA.   
 
The Columbia College men's golf team competed in two tournaments in the 2020 season and managed a 3.5 team GPA. Golfers Cameron Vanleer, Scott Shulman, Jesper Holke-Farnam, Tanner Elder and Noah Wilson took Scholar-Athlete recognition.
 
The men's cross country team is coming off their sixth consecutive and seventh overall AMC Championship. They also ranked No. 24 in the NAIA cross country postseason poll. Runners Jerod Rottinghaus, Dean Frossard, Mason Gaines, and Alexander Dukes were named NAIA-Scholar Athletes. The men's cross country team earned a 3.3 GPA. These runners also obtained Scholar-Athlete honors for track and field.

The men's indoor and outdoor track and field teams took scholar team accolades with 3.08 and 3.07 GPA's, respectively. Dillon Porter and Drake Baker earned themselves scholar-athlete honors in track and field.
 
The Cougar women's cross country team took their third consecutive AMC Championship in the 2019 season. Their postseason ranking came in at No. 24. Columbia finished the season with a 3.5 GPA. Kyla Bertschinger, Brianna Haller, Lucia Vega, Victoria Vegher, and Mikayla Sehlmeyer took home Scholar-Athlete accolades. The athlete's mentioned also obtained Scholar-Athlete honors in track and field while also carrying out a 3.4 GPA.

Just like the men, the women's indoor and outdoor track and field teams had a combined 3.48 GPA for scholar team honors. Halie Moeller, Hannah Ricketts, Meaghan Rice, Nicole Emmons, and Tess Losacker
 
Women's bowling took fifth place in the 2020 Heart of America Conference Championships. The team earned a 3.4 GPA which included NAIA Scholar-Athletes: Megan Phillips, Katie Leonard, and Emma West.