For the second year in a row, Kelly Stewart had the highest grade-point average among MPSF All-Academic honorees. (Photo by Terrell Lloyd)
San Jose State University’s Kelly Stewart leads the list with the highest grade-point average of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) All-Academic women’s water polo players for the 2011 season.
Six Spartans were named to the 49-person MPSF All-Academic Scholar-Athletes team.
“Getting notoriety for grades is important,” says Spartan head coach Lou Tully. “I am very proud of our student-athletes’ success and achievements in the classroom.”
Stewart, an economics major from Surrey, British Columbia, had a conference-best 3.949 grade-point average on a 4.00 scale. A 2011 San Jose State University President’s Scholar for earning a 4.00 grade-point average in at least two of her last three semesters, Stewart earned her second MPSF All-Academic Scholar-Athlete honor.
For the second consecutive year, she had the highest grade-point average among the MPSF’s honorees.
“Kelly is just a tremendous person and positive influence,” says Tully about his three-year letterwinner. “She is very successful in the classroom and she is a great role model.
“She has a tremendous work ethic in the classroom and has the same work ethic in the pool. That’s her persona and personality.”
Recent graduate Alyssa Friesen, a communications studies major from Clovis, Calif., earned her third MPSF All-Academic team honor.
Like Stewart, juniors Ally Waasted, a kinesiology major from Orange, Calif. and Dani Curran, an international business major from Chino, Calif., earned their second MPSF All-Academic honor.
Sophomores Kimber Methvin, a recreation and leisure studies major from Porterville, Calif. and Anna Natalizio, a justice studies major from Irvine, Calif., were named to the MPSF All-Academic team for the first time.
To be eligible for the MPSF All-Academic team, a student-athlete must have a 3.00 or better cumulative grade-point average, achieve sophomore standing academically, complete at least one full year at the member school and participate in at least 50 percent of the team’s contests during the season.