BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference recently announced the spring honorees of the HCAC All-Academic awards for the 2017 school year. Nineteen Bluffton University athletes were recognized for their efforts in the classroom.

Senior Emily Scupholm (Cuyahoga Falls/Our Lady of the Elms) had an excellent year both on the field and in the classroom earning her third straight Academic All-HCAC honor in her final season as a Beaver. Five of Emily’s junior teammates were also repeat honorees. Brittany Huff (Clayton/Northmont), Carly Levindofske (Brunswick/Magnificat), Makenzie Schmidt (Caledonia/River Valley), Nicole Thomas (Tontogany/Otsego) and Chelsea Zoltowski (Sylvania/Southview) all took care of business in the books as well as on the field. Sophomore Kelsey Reeder (Galion/Northmor) was also able to bring home academic honors in her first year of eligibility.

Seven members from outdoor track and field received Academic All-Conference honors for 2017. Anna Hairston (Mansfield/Ontario) was recognized for the third straight year while fellow senior Alissa Hauke (Hillsboro) earned her second straight Academic All-HCAC honor. Terrill Webb (Kenton/Kenton) was also honored. Sophomores Jonah Eckert (Terre Haute, Ind. /West Vigo), Maelinn DeLong (Archbold/Bryan), Devony Miller (Findlay/Liberty-Benton) and Sarah Oliver (Lexington/Lexington) are all first-time Academic HCAC honorees for outdoor track and field.

This year baseball had five members receive Academic All-Conference honors. Senior Austin Prosser (Galion) earned his third straight HCAC All-Academic honor in three years of eligibility. Baseball had a pair of juniors recognized for the second straight year in Paul Frey (Kirby/Riverdale) and Ryan Golden (Findlay). Senior Blake Fox (Berne. Ind./South Adams) and sophomore Jordan Stutzman (Millersburg/West Holmes) collected their first Academic All-Academic honor.

To be named Academic All-HCAC, a student-athlete must have completed a full year at the institution, be a varsity athlete and carry a minimum cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50 through the semester preceding the end of the season.

Bluffton University is a liberal arts, residential campus with more than 80 undergraduate majors, minors and programs; a bachelor’s degree evening program in social work for working adults; and an adult degree-completion program in organizational management. Bluffton also offers master’s degree programs in organizational management and business administration, as well as MBA programs with concentrations in leadership, health care management, accounting and financial management, leading nonprofits, conflict transformation, sustainability, production and operations management, sport management and intercultural leadership, plus a self-designed concentration.

-BEAVERS-