News6/17/2025 1:32 PM | By: Cal Athletics

12 Cal Student-Athletes Recognized On CSC At-Large Academic All-District Teams

BERKELEY – Twelve California student-athletes spanning seven varsity sports were named to the 2025 At-Large Academic All-District Teams, College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced Tuesday morning.
 
A student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically with a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average or better and meet a variety of sport-specific qualifications to be nominated for the at-large academic all-district teams. Each NCAA Division I school is allotted six nominations for both the men’s and women’s at-large academic all-district teams (12 total).
 
The 12 Golden Bears – six men and six women – who earned academic all-district status are as follows:
 
WOMEN

• Constance Fouillet (women’s golf): Economics major; team leader with 72.60 stroke average; five top-10 finishes, including a fifth-place effort at ACC Championship; played in 33 rounds across 11 stroke-play events
• Avery Hoeft (lacrosse): Economics major; scored 11 goals and tallied 17 assists to tie for third on the team with 28 points; started all 15 matches played as a junior
• Piper Melnick (women’s rowing): Economics major; Coxswain for ninth-ranked first varsity eight boat; guided first varsity eight to wins over No. 10 Virginia and No. 11 Syracuse in 2025
• Rozanne Voorvelt (women’s water polo): Molecular environmental biology major; 2025 ACWPC All-American; 2025 All-MPSF honorable mention; 3-time MPSF All-Academic Team; 30 goals scored for 19-win team
• Courtney Wong (lacrosse): Economics major; totaled 28 points (13 goals, 15 assists) as a junior; ranked second on the team with 47 draw controls; started all 15 games
• Alexandria Young-Gomez (beach volleyball): Media studies major; 2024 CSC At-Large Academic All-District selection; 82 career wins rank third in program history; 22-9 record in 2025; 2024 AVCA All-American

MEN

• Charlie Berridge (men’s golf): Computer science major; averaged 72.36 shots per round; four top-30 finishes; Cal’s top finisher at NCAA Reno Regional (T17); served as team’s co-captain
• William Kelly (men’s water polo): Economics major; among top-three goal scorers on team (22)
• Nik Mirkovic (men’s water polo): Economics major; 2024 CSC At-Large Academic All-District selection; scored 20 goals
• Albert Ponferrada (men’s water polo): Data science major; All-MPSF second team selection; netted 15 goals for the Bears as a primary starter; 2024 CSC At-Large Academic All-District selection
• Tyler Shimizu (men’s gymnastics): Electrical engineering & computer science major; ranked 31st nationally on pommel horse; posted Cal’s top all-around score of season at NCAA Championship qualifier; MPSF All-Academic selection
• Tucker Yasunaga (men’s gymnastics): Sociology major; ranked 35th nationally on parallel bars & 48th on high bar; MPSF All-Academic selection; competed on parallel bars & high bar at NCAA Championship qualifier

 
Fouillet, Young-Gomez, Voorvelt, Ponferrada, Shimizu all advanced to the CSC Academic All-America ballot, which will be voted on by CSC members. The CSC will announce At-Large Academic All-America teams for the women and men on July 8 and July 9, respectively.
 
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LONG BEACH, Calif. – Hannah Jugar, Madison Le and Erin Lee received Academic All-District honors as winners from the At-Large teams were announced Tuesday by College Sports Communicators (CSC).
 
The At-Large program is designed to recognize student-athletes who compete across 22 various NCAA sports that continue to compete at a high level while achieving in the classroom. Nominees for the honor have to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, be at least a sophomore academically and meet performance minimums in their respective sports.
 
A graduate transfer, Hannah Jugar was a 4.00 student while pursuing a Master’s in Geographic Science. Sophomore Erin Lee was Long Beach State’s top finisher at the Big West Championship and an All-Big West selection while majoring in Marketing. Junior Madison Le competed in every tournament for Long Beach State this past season and is majoring in Public Relations.
 
The Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. Women’s All-Americans from the At-Large program will be announced July 8, while Men’s All-Americans will be announced on July 9.
 

Wheeling, W. Va. – After the success of the Fall sports season, the snow began to fall and things moved inside for the start of the 2024-2025 winter sports season. Despite the cold outside, several of the winter programs were heating up, with history being made across the Cardinal athletic programs. Part two of our Athletics Year in Review will highlight the winter sports season and the historic moments that made it possible.  

The winter sports season began in the beginning of October as the Wheeling Men’s and Women’s Swimming teams took the pool. Both featured their biggest rosters since the 2016-17 seasons, and both would have historic pushes. For the Men, it was a roster fueled by freshman, with eight of the 14 swimmers being in their first season. That freshman class would come to the forefront, and led the Cardinals to tie the program record with a 9-5 record in dual meet action. They headed into the 2025 Mountain East Conference (MEC)/Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) Swimming and Diving Championships as the fourth highest team in the conference and continued that momentum. Gustav Lofqvist would become the first MEC Champion in program history, winning the title in the 50-Yard Freestyle, and led a group of five All-MEC honors for the team.  

On the women’s side, it was the opposite as several Cardinal veterans who helped build the program were back to lead the way in their senior seasons. As a group, the team would break the program single-season win record, going 9-5 across 14 events, and were sitting top three heading into the GMAC/MEC Championships. Along the way, the program was highly recognized, with three different swimmers splitting six MEC Female Swimmer of the Week awards. The Cardinal’s veteran leadership continued at the conference championships, with senior Jade Miller and junior Gabby Baiano each taking home individual conference honors. The Cardinals also had their first-ever MEC relay championship at the event, when Jade Miller, Lydie Sprecher, Grace Moorley, and Sofia Castillo took home honors in the 200-Yard Freestyle Relay.  

The Wheeling Wrestling team would be next to take the mat and, like men’s swimming, the Cardinals were led by youth. After dropping their first dual meet of the season to Frostburg State, the Cardinals would come back and win four straight dual meets to finish with their best dual meet record since 2019 at 4-1. As they entered the annual MEC Wrestling Championships, the Cardinals had no ranked wrestlers on the roster, but that didn’t stop them. They would finish the event with six different wrestlers competing in top five matches on the night, including their first All-MEC honor in program history when Gavin Harper took third in the 285-pound weight class. They finished fourth as a team, their highest finish since 2019, and kept the momentum going at regionals. Brent Bosley wrestled through three straight upset wins, and earned a Nationals alternate title, the first since 2019, to round out a strong season. 

As mid-November rolled around, it was time to take the court and Wheeling Women’s Basketball would start things off. The young team took on a difficult non-conference schedule to start the year, but found their groove winning four straight games, including two MEC games, heading into December. They finished the first half 3-1 in conference play and set themselves up for a postseason run as they entered 2025. The Cardinals would go 10-6 down the stretch and earned the #3 seed in the MEC Women’s Basketball Tournament field. It was their highest seeding since they earned the #2 seed in the North Division during the 2021 MEC Tournament. However, their tournament run would hit an abrupt end as they fell to Glenville State 58-49. The Cardinals had two All-MEC honorees, with Kenzie Dalton earning the conference’s first-ever Defensive Player of the Year award to round out the season. 

On the men’s side, the Cardinals faced an equally challenging non-conference stretch, picking up big wins over West Chester and #10 CAL-U along the way. They would pick up their first conference win against West Virginia Wesleyan, but finished the first half of the schedule 1-4 in conference play. At the end of January, the Cardinals were on the outside looking in for an MEC Tournament spot, but a 77-70 win over Charleston to end January would turn their fortunes. It sparked a four-game winning streak for the Cardinals and they would finish 5-5 in their final 10 conference games to claim the #9 seed in the conference. Their offensive leader Sean Ealy was honored with a First Team All-MEC honor, after sitting third in the conference in scoring averaging 18.3 PPG, and led his team into the tournament. It was a back and forth first round match-up with Davis & Elkins, but in the end the Cardinals would fall 63-61 ending their tournament run. 

The final two sports to take the field during the winter season were the Indoor Track & Field teams, with both featuring young rosters. On the women’s side, the Cardinals would have several veteran athletes leading the way as they showed the younger athletes how to build the Cardinal culture. The indoor season featured a mix of competition levels, with anywhere from NCAA DIII to DI on the list and the Cardinals took the challenges in stride. As they headed to the MEC Indoor Track & Field championships, the Cardinals veterans would once again take center stage. Keala McCurry would lead the way in the Women’s Pole Vault, setting a new MEC Indoor Championship record at the event. She vaulted to a height of 3.60 meters and claimed the lone podium spot for the Cardinals at the event. They sent McCurry and thrower Mariah Pelkey to the Fast Track Last Chance Invitational to round out the Indoor campaign. 

On the men’s side, the Cardinals had several freshman and first years take the field an relished the opportunity to compete against top competition. Like the women, the men also took on several different levels of NCAA talent to prepare for the championships. Several different athletes stood out throughout the regular season both on the track and the field, but it was the field events that would lead the way. As the team made it to the MEC Championships, it was the jumpers who took center stage, led by Kabwe Bwalya. Bwalya would set a big PR at the event, reaching a distance of 14.40 meters, giving him Honorable Mention All-MEC honors and ranking him #2 all-time in the event. It was the Cardinal’s lone podium finisher on the day, but the young team got valuable experience as they headed into their outdoor season. 

Part three of our Wheeling Athletics 2024-2025 year in review will go into the spring season as new opportunities bloomed for new sports, while several playoff runs made for an exciting end to the season. 

WILLMAR

— June 15 is a big day in the college sports world.

Namely for coaching staffs and sought-after high school recruits.

It is the first day NCAA Division I volleyball coaches can start contacting athletes following the completion of their sophomore year.

And, for Ellery DeBoer, she experienced it all firsthand.

As soon as the clock hit midnight on June 15, DeBoer, surrounded by family, began to receive messages from programs around the nation.

She then scheduled morning calls with her top three schools: Michigan State University, University of St. Thomas and University of Kansas.

It was Michigan State University that received DeBoer’s verbal commitment that same day.

The rising junior from

Willmar High School

will be a Spartan.

And, East Lansing will be her new home, starting in 2027.

“It’s really exciting,” DeBoer said.

DeBoer’s list of programs remained small throughout recruiting.

She wanted to be fair and not lead any of them on.

And in doing so, with the schools that were at the top of her list, there was a common theme.

DeBoer had an admiration for the coaching staffs and an affinity for the campuses.

But, ultimately, her bond and unique similarity to new Michigan State head coach Kristen Kelsay was catalyst in her decision.

DeBoer grew close to Kelsay between University of Minnesota camps and the National Team Development Program Training Series.

Kelsay, who was a 5-foot-10 setter and two-time captain at Michigan State from 2010-13, became the eighth head volleyball coach in program history in December 2024.

The former Spartan standout previously was Minnesota’s associate head coach, and primarily worked with setters, from 2023-24 after serving as an assistant coach at Northwestern (2019-21) and Michigan State (2015-18).

In 2022, Kelsay worked as the associate director and recruiting coordinator of Volleyball Club Nebraska and assisted with the NTDP.

Kelsay, who set the Spartans to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances (2012-13), ranks No. 7 in career assists in program history (3,040).

Her resume speaks for itself.

It resonated with DeBoer.

Enough for DeBoer to jump on board in Kelsay’s first recruiting class with Michigan State.

“Kelsay was an idol for me,” said DeBoer, who is a 5-11 setter. “I want to work with her.

“She’s like the main reason I’m going there because she’s just awesome. I’d say it was a pretty big part of the decision.”

Another perk: Big Ten volleyball.

It is regarded as one of the top conference’s in the NCAA.

Many of DeBoer’s friends through the NTDP are also committed to Big 10 schools.

Of note, Chatfield rising junior Cora Bicknese, a close of friend of DeBoer, is also a member of Michigan State’s recruiting Class of 2027.

All eight of her teammates on the Minnesota Select Volleyball Club 17-1 team are committed to Division I programs, including Minnesota commit Elena Hoecke. DeBoer is the only rostered player in the Class of 2027, the other eight are in the Class of 2026.

“It’s going to be really special to play them,” DeBoer said. “Big Ten volleyball is really competitive and I’m a competitive person. … It’s surreal.”

DeBoer, the No. 14 ranked setter and No. 62 overall nationally for the Class of 2027 on Prep Dig, is Willmar volleyball’s first athlete to commit to an NCAA Division I program since Sydney Schnichels, who was in the Class of 2023 and is a rising redshirt sophomore at the University of Michigan.

She is a three-time West Central Tribune All-Area Volleyball First Team selection and her 2,251 career set assists ranks No. 4 in Willmar’s history.

And like any competitor, DeBoer hopes to make her impact known early at Michigan State with goals of helping the program win a Big Ten title, or better yet, an NCAA championship while striving to become an All-American.

“I’m just going to go in and compete for a spot, and if I have to sit, I’m just going to be a good teammate and cheer the other setter on,” DeBoer said. “I want to be a part of Michigan State’s legacy.”

Here is a list of known college commitments from the West Central Tribune area. If there is someone not listed, please send an email to

sports@wctrib.com

Athlete, school: Ellery DeBoer, Willmar

Sport: Volleyball

College: Michigan State University

Affiliation: Division I

Athlete, school: Trey Gunderson, KMS

Sport: Wrestling

College: Augustana University

Affiliation: Division II

Athlete, school: Brielle Janssen, MACCRAY

Sport: Basketball

College: Minnesota State University-Mankato

Affiliation: Division II

Athlete, school: Grayson Ahrenholz, MACCRAY

Sport: Football

College: University of Wisconsin-River Falls

Affiliation: Division III

Athlete, school: Sully Anez, Willmar

Sport: Cross-country

College: South Dakota State

Affiliation: Division I

Athlete, school: Frida Barrera, MACCRAY

Sport: Women’s track and field

College: Valley State State (N.D.)

Affiliation: NAIA

Athlete, school: Brayson Boike, Dawson-Boyd

Sport: Men’s basketball

College: Southwest Minnesota State University

Affiliation: Division II

Athlete, school: Conlan Carlson, Willmar

Sport: Wrestling

College: South Dakota State

Affiliation: Division I

Athlete, school: Alex Claussen, Benson

Sport: Baseball

College: Concordia-Moorhead

Affiliation: Division III

Athlete, school: Sydney Dahl, Minnewaska

Sport: Women’s basketball

College: Minnesota State University-Moorhead

Affiliation: Division II

Athlete, school: Arivia DeBoer, Minnewaska

Sport: Women’s golf

College: St. Catherine University

Affiliation: Division III

Athlete, school: Brett DeRoo, BBE

Sport: Football

College: Gustavus Adolphus College

Affiliation: Division III

Athlete, school: Jase Dirksen, MACCRAY

Sport: Baseball

College: Ridgewater

Affiliation: NJCAA Division III

Athlete, school: Erin Eilers, Willmar

Sport: Track

College: Augustana University

Affiliation: Division II

Athlete, school: Lauren Eilers, Willmar

Sport: Cross-country, track

College: Lipscomb

Affiliation: Division I

Athlete, school: Anthony Estrada, Litchfield

Sport: Football

College: Southwest Minnesota State University

Affiliation: Division II

Athlete, school: Jack Gross, BOLD

Sport: Basketball

College: St. John’s University

Affiliation: Division III

Athlete, school: Braylon Hinderks, RCW

Sport: Football

College: Concordia-Moorhead

Affiliation: Division III

Athlete, school: Drew Hjelmeland, Dawson-Boyd

Sport: Men’s Basketball

College: Southwest Minnesota State

Affiliation: Division II

Athlete, school: Griffin Howard, RCW

Sport: Baseball

College: Bethany Lutheran

Affiliation: Division III

Athlete, school: Luke Illies, BBE

Sport: Baseball

College: St. Cloud Technical & Community College

Affiliation: NJCAA Division III

Athlete, school: Noah Jensen, Minnewaska

Sport: Baseball

College: Minnesota-Crookston

Affiliation: Division II

Athlete, school: Levi Johnson, Minnewaska

Sport: Baseball

College: St. John’s University

Affiliation: Division III

Athlete, school: Nolan Johnson, NLS

Sport: Baseball

College: Marshalltown Community College (Iowa)

Affiliation: NJCAA Division I

Athlete, school: Dylan Keimig, LQPV

Sport: Baseball

College: North Dakota State College of Science

Affiliation: NJCAA Division III

Athlete, school: Lindsey Lund, Dawson-Boyd

Sport: Golf

College: Winona State

Affiliation: Division II

Athlete, school: Emma Madison, New London-Spicer

Sport: Volleyball

College: Alexandria Technical & Community College

Affiliation: NJCAA Division III

Athlete, school: Ethan Mueller, BBE

Sport: Baseball

College: Alexandria Tech

Affiliation: NJCAA Division III

Athlete, school: Madison Norsten, Willmar

Sport: Women’s basketball, softball

College: Ridgewater

Affiliation: NJCAA Division III

Athlete, school: Alexis Nurmi, MACCRAY

Sport: Volleyball

College: Alexandria Tech

Affiliation: NJCAA Division III

Athlete, school: Jett Olson, KMS

Sport: Football

College: Southwest Minnesota State

Affiliation: Division II

Athlete, school: Davis Patzer, LQPV

Sport: Baseball

College: Ridgewater

Affiliation: NJCAA Division III

Athlete, school: Gannon Reidinger, Montevideo

Sport: Baseball

College: Minnesota State University-Mankato

Affiliation: Division II

Athlete, school: Kaydence Roeske, River Lakes (Paynesville)

Sport: Women’s hockey

College: Minnesota State University-Mankato

Affiliation: Division I

Athlete, school: Logan Rudningen, KMS

Sport: Football

College: Southwest Minnesota State

Affiliation: Division II

Athlete, school: Chase Smith, Minnewaska

Sport: Wrestling

College: Augsburg

Affiliation: Division III

Athlete, school: Hayden Sobiech, BBE

Sport: Baseball

College: Concordia-Moorhead

Affiliation: Division III

Athlete, school: Wyatt Swenson, MACCRAY

Sport: Baseball

College: Ridgewater

Affiliation: NJCAA Division III

Athlete, school: Kaden Toutges, NLS

Sport: Baseball

College: University of Jamestown

Affiliation: Division II

Athlete, school: Gretchen Volk, Willmar

Sport: Volleyball

College: University of Sioux Falls

Affiliation: Division II

Athlete, school: Madi Wendlandt, Paynesville

Sport: Cross-country, track

College: Minnesota State-Mankato

Affiliation: Division II

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Chiara Amoroso, Jamie Oberman and Chelsea Oliver received Academic All-District honors as winners from the At-Large teams were announced Tuesday by College Sports Communicators (CSC).
 
The At-Large program is designed to recognize student-athletes who compete across 22 various NCAA sports that continue to compete at a high level while achieving in the classroom. Nominees for the honor have to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, be at least a sophomore academically and meet performance minimums in their respective sports.
 
Long Beach State finished the season ranked No. 6 in the country, led by the efforts of this trio. Oliver is now a three-time Academic All-District selection, and earned All-Big West honors after recording 224 saves on the season and finishing her degree in Communication Studies. A graduate student in Public Works, Jamie Overman was third on the team with 65 points, combining for 27 goals and 38 assists on the year while sophomore Chiara Amoroso had a strong season, scoring 23 goals as an International Business major.
 
The Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. Women’s All-Americans from the At-Large program will be announced July 8, while Men’s All-Americans will be announced on July 9.