GREENWOOD, Ind. – Since the 2020-21 campaign, Alabama A&M Athletics has delivered record-setting academic performances and adds to that with a school record six individuals having been named to the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District Women's Soccer Team as announced this past week.
 
In that time the Bulldogs had a total of seven of their 10 all-time selections and these six honorees nearly equal that in one fell swoop. Earning those honors were senior goalkeeper Laura Jansa (Barcelona, Spain), junior defender Victoria Mealing (Alexandria, Va.), graduate midfielder Tateyana Pitter (Kingston, Jamaica), senior forward Makayla Rushing (Red Oak, Texas) and senior defenders Taylor Stokes (Katy, Texas) and Taylor Watson (Scarborough, Ontario, Canada).
 
Rushing led the way with a 4.0 (Animal Sciences), followed by Jansa (3.82, Family and Consumer Science), Stokes (3.81, Liberal Studies), Mealing (3.76, Accounting), Pitter (3.72, Sport Management) and Watson (3.67, English).
 
In addition to the most in a single year, not just sport, it also marks just the second time in the 71-year history of the award that the Bulldogs have earned multiple honorees in one sport in a year. The other came this past spring with Garrett Hicks of men's basketball and Dariauna Lewis of women's basketball accomplishing the feat.
 
These six individuals are also of national significance as not only are they the most of any Historically Black College or University (HBCU) at the DI level, they are the most among the hundreds selected from all three divisions. The only other honorees from HBCU institutions are three from fellow Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) member Alcorn State. Among the highlights is the fact that A&M garnered more selections than schools such as UCLA and Northwestern as they maxed out their eligible players.
 
Each of the Bulldogs' six selections join Arielle Fortune (2021) as the only other such honoree in team history and are now eligible for CSC Academic All-America honors, which will be announced on Tuesday, December 6.
 
ABOUT THE CSC ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT/AMERICA PROGRAM
The 2022-23 CSC Academic All-District Women's Soccer Team, selected by members of College Sports Communicators, has been released to recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
 
To be eligible for Academic All-District and All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 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. In a change to the program for 2022-23, the number of individuals that can be nominated is capped at six but those individuals meeting the criteria are automatically All-District selections.
 
Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
 
Alabama A&M History of Academic All-District Selections (16 Selections/14 Individuals)
2022-23 – Laura Jansa (Women's Soccer)
2022-23 – Victoria Mealing (Women's Soccer)
2022-23 – Tateyana Pitter
2022-23 – Makayla Rushing (Red Oak, Texas)
2022-23 – Taylor Stokes (Katy, Texas)
2022-23 – Taylor Watson (Women's Soccer)
2021-22 – Garrett Hicks (Men's Basketball)
2021-22 – Dariauna Lewis (Women's Basketball)
2021-22 – Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim (Football - WR)
2021-22 – Arielle Fortune (Women's Soccer)
2020-21 – Fermin Ruiz Crespo (At-Large – Men's Tennis)&
2020-21 – Marcus Cushine (Football - DL)$
2020-21 – Dariauna Lewis (Women's Basketball)&
1990-91 – Tracy Kendall (Football - QB)%
1989-90 – Tracy Kendall (Football – QB)%
1979-80 – Tim McCannelly (Football - C)*
%First-Team Academic All-America (only individual to accomplish in program history)
$Second-Team Academic All-America
&Third-Team Academic All-America
*First Academic All-America in Program History