By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State junior Brandon Ball was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-America Team for At-Large Sports as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Thursday (June 20). Earning Second Team honors, Ball is one of just 45 student-athletes nationally in NCAA Division II recognized on the At-Large Team, chosen from several sports that are part of the at-large category. Men’s sports included in the at-large category include wrestling, fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and water polo.
Ball is a Technology Studies major at Fort Hays State. He carries a 3.80 cumulative GPA (3.77 at the time of the nomination as noted below). CoSIDA Academic All-District and All-America programs are voted on based off both a student-athlete’s athletic and academic accomplishments.
Recently, Ball was a men’s finalist for the MIAA Ken B. Jones Award. The annual award recognizes the conference’s male and female student-athletes of the year, combining athletic and academic accomplishments along with campus/community service.
Ball is one of the top wrestlers in NCAA Division II. He held the No. 1 ranking at 141 pounds from February 4 all the way through to the NCAA Championships at the end of the 2018-19 season. He entered the NCAA Championships undefeated at 24-0 and won his first three matches before dropping an overtime decision in the semifinals. He went on to earn All-America honors with a fourth-place finish, completing the year at 28-2 overall. In the process, Ball ran his career record at FHSU to 114-21. Ball is a two-time All-America performer for FHSU and a three-time national qualifier. He finished sixth in the nation at 141 pounds in 2017.
Though this award is for Ball’s accomplishments as a member of the wrestling team, he also competes as a pole vaulter for the FHSU Track and Field team. His top mark this season was 14-feet, 11.5 inches.
This is Ball’s first Academic All-America honor from CoSIDA. He is also a three-time member of the NWCA Division II All-Academic Team. Ball is the 49th CoSIDA Academic All-America selection in FHSU history and joins Connor Shedeed of football as Fort Hays State’s two Academic All-America selections by CoSIDA in 2018-19.
Below is the 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-America Team for At-Large Sports.
2019 CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large Team
| FIRST TEAM | |||||
| Sport | Name | School | Yr. | GPA | Major |
| Lacrosse | Charlie Bertrand (2) | Merrimack College | Jr. | 3.92 | Mechanical Engineering |
| Lacrosse | Zach Bodeau (2) | Rockhurst University | Jr. | 4.00 | Criminal Justice |
| Volleyball | Evan Cory | Lincoln Memorial University | Jr. | 3.98 | Accounting & Finance |
| Swimming | Paden Duke (3) | Carson-Newman University | Jr. | 4.00 | Biology |
| Wrestling | Kolton Eischens | St. Cloud State University | Jr. | 3.87 | Technology Management |
| Tennis | Tiago Fernandes (2) | Southern New Hampshire University | Gr. | 3.96/4.00 | Business Administration / MBA |
| Golf | Anthony Marcinelli (1) | Carson-Newman University | Sr. | 4.00 | Business |
| Swimming | Niklas Martin (3) | Wingate University | Sr. | 3.97 | Marketing |
| Wrestling | Josh Portillo | University of Nebraska at Kearney | Jr. | 3.97 | Health & P.E. K-12 / Interscholastic Coaching |
| Volleyball | Michael Simmons | Lewis University | Gr. | 3.95/3.95 | Business Administration |
| Swimming | Payton Staman | University of Indianapolis | Jr. | 3.91 | Mechanical Engineering |
| Golf | Cody Troutman | University of Central Oklahoma | Sr. | 4.00 | Business |
| Wrestling | Brett Velasquez (1, #) | St. Cloud State University | Sr. | 3.91 | Biomedical Sciences |
| Swimming | Giacomo Viazzo (1) | Wingate University | Jr. | 3.95 | Chemistry / Mathematics |
| Swimming | Justin Winnett (1) | Lindenwood University | Sr. | 4.00 | Biological Sciences |
| SECOND TEAM | |||||
| Sport | Name | School | Yr. | GPA | Major |
| Wrestling | Brandon Ball | Fort Hays State University | Jr. | 3.77 | Technology Studies |
| Golf | Nicholas Barney | Le Moyne College | Jr. | 3.99 | Physics |
| Tennis | Timo Christen | University of Alabama in Huntsville | Jr. | 4.00 | Chemistry |
| Tennis | Sam Clarke | University of Illinois Springfield | Sr. | 3.91 | Business Administration |
| Golf | Brad Currier (2) | Lindenwood University | Sr. | 4.00 | Exercise Science / Chemistry |
| Golf | Joshua Hickling | Embry-Riddle University (Fla.) | Sr. | 4.00 | Business Administration |
| Tennis | Nils Hoffacker (1) | University of Indianapolis | Gr. | 3.96/4.00 | Business Administration & Management / MBA |
| Swimming | Ryan Katulski | Wayne State University | Jr. | 3.85 | Accounting |
| Lacrosse | Brendan McDougal (3) | Adelphi University | Sr. | 3.74 | Physics |
| Lacrosse | Conrad Rhein | Lynn University | Gr. | 3.97/4.00 | MBA Entrepreneurial Management |
| Swimming | Harry Sale | Florida Tech | Sr. | 3.96 | Chemical Engineering |
| Lacrosse | Lucas Shafer | Maryville University | Gr. | 3.75/3.75 | MBA |
| Lacrosse | Kyle Souza (2) | Dominican College | Sr. | 3.98 | Criminal Justice |
| Volleyball | Nick Stevenson | Lindenwood University | Sr. | 4.00 | Biological Sciences |
| Swimming | Johnathan Stewart (2) | Oklahoma Baptist University | Sr. | 4.00 | Business Management |
| THIRD TEAM | |||||
| Sport | Name | School | Yr. | GPA | Major |
| Wrestling | Brody Conner | University of Indianapolis | Sr. | 3.94 | Finance |
| Tennis | Blake Crawford | Newman University | So. | 4.00 | Accounting |
| Wrestling | Jared Donahue | Wheeling Jesuit University | Jr. | 3.90 | Biology |
| Tennis | Alex Fedorov | Merrimack College | Jr. | 3.97 | Accounting / Finance |
| Swimming | Markus Furst | Wingate University | Jr. | 3.95 | Exercise Science |
| Wrestling | Tyler Kreith | Maryville University | So. | 3.94 | Financial Services |
| Wrestling | Matt Malcom | University of Nebraska at Kearney | So. | 3.76 | Elementary Education K-6 |
| Golf | Colt Martin | Anderson University | So. | 4.00 | Business / Accounting |
| Wrestling | Tyler Mies (3) | Newman University | Sr. | 3.86 | Occupational Therapy Assistant |
| Tennis | Robin Möller | Georgia College | Sr. | 3.94 | Exercise Science |
| Tennis | Martin Moser | University of Mount Olive | Sr. | 3.94 | Business Analytics |
| Swimming | Dylan North | West Chester University | Jr. | 3.91 | Political Science |
| Wrestling | Noah Ottum | Colorado School of Mines | Jr. | 3.96 | Engineering Physics |
| Wrestling | Brandon Supernaw | Western Colorado University | Sr. | 3.48 | Chemistry / Secondary Education |
| Lacrosse | Logan Sweeney | Florida Tech | Sr. | 3.91 | Chemical Engineering |