CoSIDA Academic All-District History
Alabama A&M Athletics has a history of academic success, including a total of 16 College Sports Communicators (formerly College Sports Information Directors of America, Academic All-District selections.
The first of those was Tim McCannelly of football during the 1979-80 season and he was joined a decade later by quarterback Tracy Kendall. The latter would be the first of back-to-back years earning the honor and both would go on to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition. McCannely would be a Second-Team selection while Kendall would be First-Team both years.
Women's basketball's Dariauna Lewis would become the first to accomplish the feat at the Division I level during the 2020-21 campaign. The latter would also be the first year in program history where multiple student-athletes earned Academic All-District recognition as football's Marcus Cushine did so as a defensive lineman and Fermin Ruiz Crespo of men's tennis accomplished the feat that same season.
Soccer's Arielle Fortune became the first player to earn the award in that program's history while football's Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim, men's basketball's Garrett Hicks and Lewis made it not only consecutive seasons with multiple honorees, but with a program record four with each of those coming in the 2021-22 season.
Most recently, aided by a change in criteria, women's soccer delivered a program record six selections in 2022-23, including Laura Jansa, Victoria Mealing, Tateyana Pitter, Makayla Rushing, Taylor Stokes and Taylor Watson.
ABOUT THE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT PROGRAM
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 per sport 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 (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-American (only individual to accomplish in program history)
&Third-Team Academic All-American
*First Academic All-American in Program History
Updated November 21, 2022, 10:32 p.m.
