By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State men’s basketball senior Jared Vitztum was named a second team CoSIDA Academic All-America selection, announced Thursday (May 27) by the organization. Vitztum is one of just 15 student-athletes from across the country to earn the distinction of Academic All-America, and is the only representative from the MIAA on the team this year. Sports Information and Athletic Communication professionals nationwide select the Academic All-America Team, which honors a combination of academic and athletic accomplishments of the individuals selected.
Vitztum earned a masters degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance earlier this month, doing so with a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average in his graduate studies. He had a near perfect GPA during his time as an undergraduate student with a 3.92 GPA as a Finance major. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with his bachelor’s degree in 2020. Vitztum is a three-time recipient of the MIAA Academic Excellence Award, a two-time recipient of the MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award for the seasons he earned All-MIAA honors, and a five-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll. He was also a finalist for the MIAA Men’s Winter Student-Athlete of the Year Award in 2021.
On the court, Vitztum is a two-time All-MIAA selection, including first-team honors in 2021. Vitztum was one of just 11 players named to the NABC All-District Team for the Central Region. He led NCAA Division II in double-doubles for points and rebounds in the regular season with 12, averaging 18.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Vitztum led the MIAA in rebounds per game and NCAA Division II in total rebounds per game (218) during the regular season. He became the 22nd player in FHSU men’s basketball history to score 1,000 points, now with 1,118 in his career. He also became the eighth player in FHSU men’s basketball history to score at least 1,000 points and pull down 600 rebounds in a career.
Vitztum is the fifth Academic All-American in program history, and the first since Carson Konrade in 2014. He plans to continue his graduate work in finance while playing in his second senior season in 2021-22.
Vitztum was joined on the Academic All-America list by women’s basketball senior Whitney Randall, making FHSU one of four schools in Division II with a representative on both the men’s and women’s Academic All-America team.
Below is the 2021 CoSIDA Men’s Basketball Academic All-America Team in NCAA Division II.
2021 NCAA Division II CoSIDA Men’s Basketball Academic All-America Team
First Team
Name – School – Year – GPA – Major
Dalton Bolon (1, #) – West Liberty University – Gr. – 3.85/4.00 – Physician’s Assistant
Parker Fox – Northern State University – Sr. – 3.81 – Sport Management
Trenton Gibson – Tusculum University – Sr. – 3.96 – Sport Management
Chandler Jacobs – Dallas Baptist University – Sr. – 3.88 – Accounting
John Paul Kromka (3) – University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown – Jr. – 3.94 – Mechanical Engineering
Second Team
Name – School – Year – GPA – Major
Elijah Jenkins (3) – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.) – Sr. – 3.97 – Mechanical Engineering
Sam Orf – University of Alabama in Huntsville – Sr. – 3.82 – Sports & Fitness Management
Tyler Riemersma (3) – Augustana University – Sr. – 3.90 – Data Science
Brendan Sullivan – Colorado School of Mines – Jr. – 3.83 – Civil Engineering
Jared Vitztum – Fort Hays State University – Gr. – 3.92/4.00 – Business Administration
Third Team
Name – School – Year – GPA – Major
Harry Cavell – Seattle Pacific University – Gr. – 3.84/3.67 – Data Analytics (G)
Adam Dworsky – Southeastern Oklahoma State University – Sr. – 3.81 – Mathematics
Conley Garrison – Drury University – Sr. – 3.72 – Business
Ronnie Silva – Adelphi University – Jr. – 3.63 – Sports Management
Owen White – Michigan Technological University – Jr. – 3.82 – Mechanical Engineering
CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year: Dalton Bolon, West Liberty University
(1) – CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II second team selection in 2019-20
(3) – CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II third team selection in 2019-20
(#) – CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II second team selection in 2018-19