By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
CoSIDA named Fort Hays State women’s basketball senior Whitney Randall to its Academic All-America Third Team on Thursday (May 27). Randall is one of just 15 student-athletes nationwide to receive the honor and is the only MIAA representative on the list. Sports Information and Athletic Communication professionals from across the country vote on the Academic All-America Team, which honors a combination of academic and athletic accomplishments of the individuals selected.
Randall has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA over four years of college as a Health & Human Performance major at FHSU, with an emphasis in Teaching and Coaching. The Alva, Oklahoma native is a four-time recipient of the MIAA Academic Excellence Award and received the MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award this season for gaining All-MIAA honors on the court. Most recently, Randall was named the MIAA Women’s Winter Student-Athlete of the Year, an award is based on the athletic, academic, and campus/community service accomplishments of an individual.
On the court, Randall was an All-MIAA First Team selection in 2021, helping FHSU Women’s Basketball to the MIAA Regular Season Championship and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Central Regional of the NCAA Tournament. She helped the Tigers to their sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the last seven years, while leading the team in scoring (15.0 points per game). She scored in double figures in 21 of 26 games and reached at least 20 points in a game five times. During the 2020-21 season, she became the 22nd player program history to reach 1,000 career points at FHSU, now with 1,033.
Randall is the eighth CoSIDA Academic All-America selection in program history and the first since Kate Lehman in 2015. Randall is set to complete her undergraduate degree in the fall before starting a master’s degree and playing in her second senior season this winter.
Randall was joined on the Academic All-America list by men’s basketball senior Jared Vitztum, 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 Women’s Basketball Academic All-America Team in NCAA Division II.
2021 NCAA Division II CoSIDA Women’s Basketball Academic All-America Team
First Team
Name – School – Year – GPA – Major
Sierra Kotchman (3) – Fairmont State University – Sr. – 3.97 – Business Administration
Maria Kuhlman – Belmont Abbey College – Sr. – 3.99 – Theology
Denali Pinto (1) – Colorado School of Mines – Jr. – 4.00 – Chemical Engineering
Nikki Tucker – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.) – Sr. – 4.00 – Aerospace Physiology
Irisa Ye (1) – University of the Sciences – Sr. – 3.95 – Biomedical Sciences
Second Team
Name – School – Year – GPA – Major
Allie Downing – Belmont Abbey College – Sr. – 3.98 – Accounting / Business Management
Riley Fitzwater – Concord University – Sr. – 3.68 – Sports Management
Cara Liggins – Point Loma – Gr. – 3.97/4.00 – Business (UG) / MBA (G)
Brynne Lytle – Christian Brothers University – Sr. – 3.79 – Biomedical Sciences
Paige Robinson – Drury University – Jr. – 3.52 – Marketing
Third Team
Name – School – Year – GPA – Major
Maighan Hedge – Cameron University – Jr. – 3.96 – Sports & Exercise Science
Lexy Hightower – West Texas A&M University – Gr. – 3.75/3.70 – Sports & Exercise Science
Lauren Lister – Millersville University – Sr. – 3.66 – Childhood Education
Erin Norling – Wayne State College – Sr. – 3.93 – Biology / Pre-Physician Assistant
Whitney Randall – Fort Hays State University – Sr. – 4.00 – Health & Human Performance
CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year: Sierra Kotchman, Fairmont State 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