Kostric Garners CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-America Award
Oskaloosa–Aleksander Kostric (Grad., Koper, Slovenia, Master’s of Sports Management) was extraordinary both in the classroom and on the lanes and was rewarded by being named an NAIA Academic All-American Tuesday as part of the Academic All-America program selected by CoSIDA.
The graduate student was selected to the NAIA’s First Team for the At-Large division. He is the first Academic All-American in William Penn men’s bowling history and is the second for WPU in the past two weeks (Tanner Bedier, baseball).
The award recognizes student-athletes not only for their athletic prowess but also their successes academically. The NAIA is in its fifth year of having its own exclusive division; prior to that, it was grouped in with other associations as part of the College division. The Academic All-America program began in 1952.
The At-Large program includes the following NAIA-sponsored men’s sports: men’s golf, men’s bowling, men’s lacrosse, men’s tennis, men’s swimming, men’s volleyball, and men’s wrestling. Outside of the NAIA, the men’s sports of men’s fencing, men’s gymnastics, men’s ice hockey men’s rifle, men’s skiing, and men’s water polo are also part of the at-large program.
Kostric, who owns a 3.93 Grade Point Average, enjoyed a splendid final campaign, averaging 199.5 pins over the span of 60 games. A second-team all-Heart of America Athletic Conference honoree and one-time Heart Bowler of the Week, he had a high game of 279 and once placed in the top 25. He helped William Penn to six regular-season top-10 finishes, including a runner-up placing at the Heart of Championship. The Statesmen then finished sixth at NAIA Nationals and third at USBC Nationals.
To be eligible for the award, athletes must be of at least sophomore academic standing, be a starter or key reserve player (other playing requirements where applicable), maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or above on a 4.0 scale, and have attended the nominating institution for at least one full calendar year.
