SMSU ATHLETICS: SMSU’s Taylor Reiss, Jon Dicke named to Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-American teams
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AUSTIN, Texas - Southwest Minnesota State University seniors Jon Dicke and Taylor Reiss were both recognized for their academics on Tuesday, as they were named to the 2018 Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-America® First and Second Teams, respectively.
Taylor Reiss
Reiss was named to the Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-America® Second Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
The Division II Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2018-19 Division II Academic All-America® teams program.
Reiss is the fourth SMSU volleyball student-athlete to earn Academic All-American honors in program history.
A native of Taunton, Reiss carries a 3.38 cumulative GPA in exercise science. A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree, Reiss last month was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II National Player of the Year for the second straight season and was also named the Division II National Player of the Year by the Conference Commissioner’s Association (CCA), which is voted upon by sports information directors across the country.
Reiss finished the season ranked first in Division II in kills (664), points per set (6.42) and kills per set (5.72), while ranking second in attacks per set (14.45) and third in total attacks with 1,676. She finished her four-year career at SMSU ranking second in team history in kills (2,146), second in kills per set (4.94), second in attempts (5,293), second in points (2,431.5) and ninth in hitting percentage (.309).
Fifteen of the 21 members of the Google Cloud Academic All-America® Division II volleyball team have a perfect 4.00 GPA, including all seven student-athletes honored as first team choices. Twelve of the 21 Academic All-America® selections played in this year’s NCAA Division II Tournament. The aggregate GPA for the 21 Academic All-America® team members is 3.946.
Jon Dicke
Dicke was named to the 2018 Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-America® First Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Dicke’s announcement, along with SMSU volleyball student-athlete Taylor Reiss, who also was named an Academic All-American on Tuesday, brings SMSU’s total to 23 student-athletes who have earned CoSIDA Academic All-America® honors in school history. SMSU has recorded 16 CoSIDA Academic All-America® honorees since 2009, including eight first team accolades.
Dicke, a defensive lineman from Rochester, has earned a cumulative 4.0 GPA in exercise science and has recorded numerous awards for his classwork and play on the field this fall. In September, he was recognized as a member of the 2018 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and was chosen as a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes the top football scholar athlete in the nation. He was also the recipient of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Glen Galligan Award, which is given to football student-athlete who participates at his institution for four years and is academically superior while making a positive contribution to the institution.
On the football field, Dicke finished the 2018 season with 42 tackles including 5.5 for loss and two sacks. Dicke, who started every game the past two seasons, closed his four-year career with 111 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
Dicke was one of four defensive lineman named to the first team. The 26 Google Cloud Academic All-America® Division II football first team members hold a composite 3.883 GPA. Dicke was one of six first team honorees to hold a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA.
To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America® honors honors to student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
For more information about the Academic All-America® program, please visit www.cosida.com.
SMSU’s All-Time CoSIDA Academic
All-Americans
Baseball
2003 – Brendan Rokke, 2nd Team
2004 – Brendan Rokke, 1st Team
2009 – Greg Laughlin, 3rd Team
2012 – Chris Eichten, 1st Team
2012 – Adam Thygesen, 3rd Team
2018 – Jayden Fleck, 2nd Team
Football
1988 – Bruce Saugstad, 1st Team
1999 – Jason Jacobs, 2nd Team
2015 – Davontay Stevens, 1st Team
2015 – Donovan Woods, 2nd Team
2017 – Jon Dicke, 1st Team
2018 – Jon Dicke, 1st Team
Men’s Basketball
1980 – Jeff Johannesen, 2nd Team
Soccer
2011 – Kelly Fitzgerald, 3rd Team
Tennis
1992 – Leslie Jacobsen, 3rd Team
Volleyball
2009 – Sara Graf, 2nd Team
2010 – Cara Carson, 2nd Team
2012 – Brooke Burmeister, 1st Team
2018 – Taylor Reiss, 2nd Team
Women’s Basketball
2005 – Michelle Bruns, 2nd Team
Softball
2013 – Amy Dreessen, 1st Team
Wrestling
2016 – Cole Wilson, 2nd Team
Golf
2016 – Becky Koepp, 3rd Team
Content courtesy
of SMSU Athletic
Communications