Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team includes 61 KU athletes

By J-W Staff Report     Jul 6, 2021

Nick Krug
An aerial photo of the University of Kansas campus in August 2015.

The names of 61 University of Kansas athletes appeared on the Big 12 Conference’s 2020-21 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team, with 13 first-year Jayhawks earning a 4.0 grade point average.

KU had the third-most honorees in the Big 12, trailing Texas’ 96 and West Virginia’s 63.

The 13 KU freshmen who finished their first full years of college and competition with a perfect 4.0 GPA were: Angelina Arinze (track and field), Sophia Buzard (softball), Kara Church (swimming and diving), Kate Dreyer (soccer), Shira Elinav (soccer), Bradley Freidel (track and field), Kaitlyn Gee (softball), Lauren Gryboski (swimming and diving), Elise McGhie (volleyball), Molly Schultz (volleyball), Emma Steiner (rowing), Reis Vernon (football) and Kate Wienke (rowing).

The rowing team had a KU-best 13 athletes on this year’s Academic All-Big 12 Rookie team, while the track and field team had 11.

Big 12 athletes are nominated for the honor by each institution’s director of student-athlete support services. Honorees must be incoming freshmen who completed 24 semester hours of non-remedial coursework, while achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. Plus, the athletes must have participated in at least one of their team’s contests and been on the roster for the entire season.

Jayhawks on Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team

KU baseball

Anthony Castonguay

Tavian Josenberger

Seth Sweet-Chick

KU men’s basketball

Latrell Jossell

Gethro Muscadin

Bryce Thompson

KU women’s basketball

Katrine Jessen

Mia Vuksic

KU football

Jalon Daniels

Ra’Mello Dotson

Luke Grimm

Karon Prunty

Caleby Taylor

Reis Vernon

KU men’s golf

Davis Cooper


KU women’s golf

Hanna Hawks

Joy Mannix

KU rowing

Cameron Boyd

Courtney Costain

Laine Draper

Mara Evans

Amber Haden

Kelly Hagedorn

Sydney Johnston

Natalie Seib

Emma Steiner

Tyler Tankersley

Stella Warren

Paige Wheeler

Kate Wienke

KU soccer

Mackensie Boeve

Kate Dreyer

Shira Elinav

Moira Kelley

Brie Severns

Avery Smith

KU softball

Sophia Buzard

Kaitlyn Gee

KU swimming and diving

Kara Church

Taylor Conley

Brooke Dalbey

Lauren Gryboski

Ellie Wehrmann

KU men’s track and field

Bradley Freidel

Alvin Green

Douglas JaBrandion

Haakon Litland

Mackinon Mokoro

Cameron Wilmington

KU women’s track and field

Angelina Arinze

Riley Colby

Kenadi Krueger

Hannah Robinson

Victoria Thomas

KU volleyball

Caroline Crawford

Ayah Elnady

Elise McGhie

Kaiti Parks

Karli Schmidt

Molly Schultz

Kim Whetstone

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55922Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team includes 61 KU athletes