Page 27 - Laker Connection Fall 2016

In less than two years, the level of academic success has been unprecedented in Clayton State Athletics history. In a four-semester span, a total of 53 current or former student-athletes have earned their degrees, including a department record 20 this past spring. Four of those achieved their Master’s degree.
That’s not the only record Laker student-athletes have set during that time either. Consisting of 140 individuals from 12 teams, a program record of 75 achieved a 3.0 GPA or better in the Fall of 2015 and were recognized at the Breakfast of Champions. The third semester of the event, a total of 184 student-athletes have met or surpassed that mark, including a then record 67 in Fall 2014.
Laker academic recognition has not been constrained to on campus either. In just two years, 45 student-athle- tes have been named to the Peach Belt Conference All-Academic Team for their respective sports, with 20 in 2014-15 and an increase to 25 in 2015-16. Along with that are 85 individuals that have earned PBC Presiden- tial Honor Roll recognition.
Perhaps the most impressive academic accolades
have come at the national level. Graduate stu- dent Maia Kuhnen (Trier, Germany) is a two-time College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District selection in cross country/track & field and was joined by teammate Darina Drozdova this past spring. Men’s soccer’s Aleksi Tuominen (Helsinki, Finland) was also na- med Academic All-District this past fall.
Topping the list of academic accomplishments is women’s soccer student-athlete Maria Marti Bartis (Girona, Spain), who in the Fall of 2015 became just the second CoSIDA Academic All-American in program history and the first ever First-Team selection. Prior to 2015, there had only been two Lakers to even earn Academic All-District recog- nition.
Not only is Clayton State Athletics committed to the responsibility of preparing our student-athletes to succeed in the classroom, this run of impressi- ve academic accomplishments are a testament to the fact that the most important individuals – the student-athletes themselves - have bought in and are beginning to reap the rewards.
Maria Marti Bartis accomplished something no other individual in program history has as she was named a CoSIDA Academic All-America First-Team selection following an incredible season on the field and in the classroom.
She is just one of 11 Division II women’s soccer student-athletes to earn First- Team honors and just the second individual in the 26-year history of Clayton State Athletics to earn Academic All-America honors. She joins cross country/track and field student-athlete Robert Spezzacatena, who was a Third-Team choice in 2012.
Marti Bartis excelled both academically and athletically in 2015, posting a perfect 4.0 GPA while pursuing a Masters in Health Administration and being one of the top goal scoring threats in the Southeast Region.
This year she was named to the All-Peach Belt Conference First-Team and was twice the league’s Player of the Week after driving home 11 goals and finishing with 25 points. Four of those goals were also game-winners, which ranked 50th in the country.
On the year, Marti Bartis scored in 10-of-18 games, including six straight from September 11-30. Highlighting that run was a goal and an assist on the game- winner in a 2-1 overtime victory over No. 3 North Georgia on October 14. She was also named to the PBC All-Academic Team for a second consecutive year.
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