Four Student-Athletes Receive Academic All-District Recognition
5/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | General
May 12, 2016
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Four University of Michigan student-athletes were named Academic All-District selections on Thursday (May 12), the announcement coming from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The recipients include senior Ali Thomason (water polo), juniors Nicole Artz (women's gymnastics) and Adam Coon (wrestling) and sophomore PJ Ransford (men's swimming and diving).
Selected by CoSIDA members, the Academic All-District distinction is given to student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. First-team honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month. To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade-point average 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.
Nicole Artz | Women's Gymnastics
The recognition for Artz, a junior from Holland, Michigan, comes one month after she received the Bates/Deskins Award, given annually to the top junior student-athlete at the University of Michigan. An elementary education and language arts major, Artz was a NCAA All-America (second team) selection on floor exercise in 2016. She won an NCAA Regional championship on balance beam and Big Ten individual titles on beam and floor. A first team All-Big Ten selection and Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Artz finished the season ranked in the top 10 nationally in the all-around, beam and floor.
Adam Coon | Wrestling
Coon, a junior from Fowlerville, Michigan, earns Academic All-District honors for the first time in his career. He posted a 23-3 record in 2015-16 with 17 bonus wins, including a team-best nine falls. Coon once again paced the Wolverines at the NCAA Championships, earning his second straight NCAA All-America honor with a third-place finish at heavyweight. He also claimed runner-up honors at the Big Ten Championships. Coon is also a three-time NWCA All-Academic honoree and two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. He is enrolled in the College of Engineering and majors in aerospace engineering.
PJ Ransford | Men's Swimming and Diving
Ransford, a sophomore from Pittsford, New York, enjoyed a stellar sophomore campaign for the men's swimming and diving team. He won the 1,650-yard freestyle at the Big Ten Championships and was an NCAA All-America honorable mention in the same event at the NCAA Championships. An Academic All-Big Ten selection this year, he was one of 12 winter honorees across the entire conference to have maintained an unblemished cumulative GPA. A member of the 2015-16 U.S. National Team, Ransford will swim at U.S. Olympic Trials with the goal of qualifying for the Olympic Games in Rio. Ransford is enrolled in the College of Engineering and majors in mechanical engineering.
Ali Thomason | Water Polo
Thomason, a senior from San Rafael, California, is a two-year captain majoring in neuroscience with a minor in creative writing. The CWPA Player of the Year and CWPA Championship MVP will be taking the MCAT this summer with plans on attending medical school after she finishes her degree in the fall. An All-CWPA first team selection for the second straight year, Thomason has set the Michigan single-season goals record (90) and leads the Wolverines into the NCAA Tournament starting Friday (May 13) against Arizona State at 5:15 p.m. PDT.
• Full Releases (CoSIDA.com): Men | Women
Communications Contacts: Ben Blevins, Brad Rudner, Leah Howard
