Montana lands 40 on Big Sky winter academic teams
4/30/2013 12:00:00 AM | General
April 30, 2013
2012-13 Winter Academic All-Big Sky Conference teams 
The two elements of the term `student-athlete' are linked grammatically by a single, flimsy hyphen. When it comes to success in Big Sky Conference women's basketball, however, the two become inseparable, achievement in one seemingly not possible without achievement in the other.
The Montana women's basketball team won both the Big Sky regular-season and tournament championships in 2013. The Lady Griz also had a league-high nine players selected to the Big Sky's 2012-13 Winter All-Academic teams that were announced recently.
That in itself makes the idea of athletic success=academic success merely a theory. What makes it more of a principle is that the second- and third-best teams last winter in the Big Sky, Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington, tied for second behind Montana with eight selections each.
In Lady Griz coach Robin Selvig's mind, that is not happenstance. Nor would he be surprised to learn that two of the teams at the bottom of the women's basketball standings had the fewest selections, with just five between them.
About his own selections, which included four of the team's five starters, Selvig said, "We're proud of that. It's a testament to how hard the kids work and the pride they take in being good students and good athletes.
"I don't expect everyone we have to be an A student, but I do expect them to all want to do their best in the classroom and on the basketball floor and whatever else they pursue."
When asked about the bigger picture, that Montana, Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington led the Big Sky in both areas, Selvig added, "There is definitely a correlation there. You recruit people who want to do their best, no matter what they're doing."
Three of Montana's women's basketball selections on the winter academic team were the three players Selvig signed in November 2008. With the announcement of this year's selections, Katie Baker, Kenzie De Boer and Alyssa Smith all become four-time Academic All-Big Sky Conference.
At the time of their signing, Selvig said all the right things about his incoming freshmen, but recruiting classes are often best judged in the rearview mirror. A dozen academic teams between them, two NCAA tournament appearances and for Baker a 2013 Big Sky MVP award.
"They lived up to their billing," Selvig said. "When we signed them we thought they were great people and great students, and they turned out to be who we thought they were. And they maintained that through the ups and downs of their careers."
Montana had 43 selections on the winter academic teams: 20 from women's indoor track and field, 11 from men's indoor track and field, nine from women's basketball and three from men's basketball.
While three selections for the Griz may pale in comparison to nine for the Lady Griz, the better comparison should come against Montana's peers in the Big Sky. The Griz ranked third with their three selections. Four of the 11 Big Sky men's basketball teams failed to have a single player honored.
Mathias Ward joins Baker, De Boer and Smith as a four-time selection.
Montana's total of 43 ranked third in the league behind Idaho State's 58 and Eastern Washington's 50. The Bengals led the Big Sky in both women's indoor track and field, with 34, and men's indoor track and field, with 18. The Eagles had a league-high nine men's basketball selections.
Women's basketball (9): Katie Baker (Sr., Health and hum an performance); Kellie Cole (So., Education); Kenzie De Boer (Sr., Communication studies); Hannah Doran (Fr., Biochemistry); McCalle Feller (Fr., Pre-journalism); Shanae Gilham (Fr., Health and human performance); Maggie Rickman (So., Communication studies); Alyssa Smith (Sr., Health and hum an performance); Jordan Sullivan (Jr., Marketing)
Men's basketball (3): Jordan Gregory (So., Psychology); Mathias Ward (Gr., Accounting); Jake Wiley (Fr., Athletic training)
Women's indoor track and field (20): Gwenn Abbott (Sr., Health and human performance); Morgan Braby (Fr., Journalism); Tess Brenneman (Fr., Health and human performance); Rebekah Collins (Jr., Communication studies); Lindsey Dahl (Fr., Undeclared); Keli Dennehy (So., Finance); Nycole Devers (Jr., Sociology); Shayle Dezellem (Jr., Health and human performance); Emily Eickholt (Sr., Pharmacy); Kellee Glaus (Jr., Biology); Sarah Hastings (Fr., Sociology); Samantha Hodgson (Fr., Health and human performance); Emily Mendoza (Fr., Social work); Allie Parks (So., Economics); Kiandra Rajala (Sr., Recreation management); Julia Read (Fr., Communicative science disorders); Brittany Schroeder (Sr., Health and human performance); Autumn Taniguchi (So., Sociology); Lauryn Wate (Fr., Undeclared); Carly Wilczynski (Fr., Education)
Men's indoor track and field (11): Matt Barker (Fr., Undeclared); Jordan Collison (Jr., Health and human performance); Cody Curtis (Fr., Undeclared); Dylan Hambright (So., Sociology); Brian Maus (So., Management); Mark Messmer (So., Health and human performance); JR Nelson (Fr., Undeclared); Peter Nguyen (Sr., Management); David Norris (So., Health and human performance); Bobby Smollack (Fr., Undeclared); Alex White (Jr., Health and human performance)
