Twenty-one Gonzaga athletes were named to the spring WCC All-Academic team, announced by the conference in July.
The baseball team led with five selections, followed by women's golf, with four. Women's tennis and women's rowing both had four athletes selected (two to the team, two as honorable mention for each), followed by men's golf and men's tennis, which each had two.
"The spring WCC All-Academic list nominates athletes who contributed to their teams in a meaningful way, whether by being a starter, or a major contributor," said Gonzaga Athletic Director Mike Roth.
Associate Athletic Director Shannon Strahl added, "Each institution nominates athletes for this distinction. GPA is a significant criterion, but the nominee also has to be a significant contributor for the team. The two go hand-in-hand. It's a measure of both academic and athletic achievement."
Roth was immensely proud of the academic achievements of all the athletes who had played spring sports.
"Concerning all spring sport athletes, the cumulative GPA was 3.26," Roth said. "It's extremely important that our athletes do well academically."
"We want student-athletes to win at a Division I level. Just as important, we want them to win in the classroom, and that means being successful academically from their first days on campus, all the way to graduation."
The third goal, Roth said, was a commitment to community involvement.
Strahl spoke of the importance of this third tenet—an embodiment of the Jesuit principle of "being a man or woman for others."
"Some athletes volunteer either as a team, or as a group of individuals. Our student-athlete advisory committee, with representatives from each team, offers community service opportunities to all athletes," Strahl said.
Some, like Billy Moon, went above and beyond the call of duty. The junior baseball player gave 7-year-old Tommy Mortimer—who survived a grueling battle with liver cancer—the chance to come out to a Gonzaga baseball game this past spring.
Mortimer was able to watch batting practice, tour the clubhouse, throw out the first pitch, and announce the sixth inning of a game against the University of San Diego.
It was a level of dedication that reflected the commitment of spring athletes to making an impact in the community, as well as in the classroom.
Kyle Huus, a golfer who graduated this spring, was named a Cleveland/Srixon All-American Scholar.
"[The award] is a combination of maintaining a 3.2 GPA, competing at least two years at the collegiate level, playing in 70 percent of the team's fixtures, and posting a stroke average of 76," Huus said.
He spoke of the difficulty in maintaining a successful academic record while dealing with the stresses of an athletic season.
"It was very tough freshman year. But once I learned how to manage my time effectively, it wasn't that bad.
"On the road, you just have to get your assignments done and stay on top of things. You become more responsible on your own, and you keep getting better at it," said Huss.
Huus, who maintained a 3.70 GPA, was one of 138 Division I honorees for the award.
The men's golf team was named to the Golf Coaches Association of America All-Academic Team, after posting a cumulative GPA over 3.0.
The women's golf team thrived in the academic arena as well, becoming one of three Gonzaga teams (men's soccer, men's basketball) to receive the NCAA Public Recognition Award for Academics, which rewards finishing in the top 10 in Academic Progress Rate in their respective sport.
Junior Jessica Howe was named to the Division I All-Academic Scholar Team.
"If you look at our spring semester, we had 48 student-athletes on the Dean's List [3.5-3.69 GPA], and 61 who made the President's List [3.7 GPA or above]," Roth said.
"We are extremely proud of what our athletes do academically—especially considering the amount of time they have to put in both in traveling and playing. It's a burden, but we're extremely proud of what they've accomplished."
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