Eight Receive CSC Academic All-District Recognition
6/25/2024 10:00:00 AM | General, Men's Golf, Women's Beach Volleyball, Women's Gymnastics
BOISE, Idaho – Eight Boise State student-athletes received Academic All-District recognition, the Collegiate Sports Communicators (CSC) announced, Tuesday.
The Broncos were represented by beach volleyball's Ava Anderson, Emilia Guerra-Acuña and Sierra Land; gymnastics' Courtney Blackson, Emily Lopez and Adriana Popp; and Will O'Connor and Cole Rueck from men's golf.Â
The eight were honored on the at-large team, which encompasses 22 sports at the NCAA Division I level. To be eligible for CSC academic honors, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore and have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.50.
Beach Volleyball
Competing as a pair for the season, Anderson and Guerra-Acuña were named to the Southland Conference Second Team at the No. 2 position after posting a 25-17 record on the season. The duo recorded a 10-7 mark from the No. 3 position before moving up to the No. 2 court, posting a 15-10 record.Â
Guerra-Acuña, a health studies major who has the third-most wins in program history with 65 career victories, completed her junior season with a 3.53 cumulative GPA and was named to the SLC All-Academic Team a season ago. Anderson, also a health studies major, completed her sophomore year with a 3.72 cumulative GPA and earned a spot on the dean's list with highest honors. The tandem were both named to the SLC Commissioner's Honor Roll last year.Â
Land ended her career in top form, earning the SLC Conference Pair of the Year award alongside partner Marlayna Bullington, SLC first team honors and was named the SLC Student-Athlete of the Year. The Albuquerque, N.M., native competed at the top court all season, tying the program record for wins in a single season with a 28-13 mark.Â
The two-time SLC Pair of the Week recipient finished with 71 career victories, the second-most in program history, and her 45 wins on the top court are the most in the program's record book. A health science major, Land graduated magna cum laude with a 3.76 cumulative GPA.
Gymnastics
Blackson earned CSC Academic All-District honors for the second-straight year, graduating with a 3.84 in health sciences. She tied for sixth on bars at the NCAA Championships, securing her second-career All-America honor.
A native of Elk Grove, Calif., Blackson was named All-Mountain West first team on bars and floor and second team on vault. A seven-time Mountain West Specialist of the Week, she tied the program record on floor (9.950) twice and became the first gymnast in program history to win multiple NCAA Regional events outright.
Lopez was also named CSC Academic All-District for the second-straight year, graduating with a 3.65 in marketing. She was named Mountain West Gymnast of the Year and MW Bars Specialist of the Year.
A native of Mission Viejo, Calif., Lopez announced her plans to return to Boise State for her fifth year. She garnered All-MW first team honors on bars and beam and was named MW Specialist of the Week on 10 occasions.
Rounding out the gymnastics trio was Popp, who was recognized by the CSC for the second time. She was named MW Co-Beam Specialist of the Year, helping the Broncos win the inaugural MW title.
A native of Easton, Pa., Popp maintained a 3.82 GPA in leadership. She was tabbed All-MW first team on beam and second team on vault. Popp was a two-time MW Beam Specialist of the Week and qualified for NCAA Regionals as an individual.
Men's Golf
O'Connor concluded his second season at Boise State after joining the Broncos in 2022-23 from Texas Southern. The finance major from Wellington, New Zealand owns a 4.0 GPA and appeared in 11 events this season. O'Connor's top finish came in the season opener at the Island Resort Collegiate, where he finished T-4th.
Rueck put together an incredible season for the Broncos which culminated in a Mountain West individual title in April. The sophomore from Corvallis, Ore., opened the spring with a victory at the Genesis Collegiate Showcase to earn an exemption to the Scottish Open, and posted three top-10 finishes on the season.Â
He is the seventh men's golfer in Boise State history to earn an individual bid to a NCAA Regional, and his 71.61 average over 36 rounds is the ninth-lowest in school history. Rueck owns a 3.86 GPA while pursuing his degree in finance.Â
The Broncos were represented by beach volleyball's Ava Anderson, Emilia Guerra-Acuña and Sierra Land; gymnastics' Courtney Blackson, Emily Lopez and Adriana Popp; and Will O'Connor and Cole Rueck from men's golf.Â
The eight were honored on the at-large team, which encompasses 22 sports at the NCAA Division I level. To be eligible for CSC academic honors, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore and have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.50.
Beach Volleyball
Competing as a pair for the season, Anderson and Guerra-Acuña were named to the Southland Conference Second Team at the No. 2 position after posting a 25-17 record on the season. The duo recorded a 10-7 mark from the No. 3 position before moving up to the No. 2 court, posting a 15-10 record.Â
Guerra-Acuña, a health studies major who has the third-most wins in program history with 65 career victories, completed her junior season with a 3.53 cumulative GPA and was named to the SLC All-Academic Team a season ago. Anderson, also a health studies major, completed her sophomore year with a 3.72 cumulative GPA and earned a spot on the dean's list with highest honors. The tandem were both named to the SLC Commissioner's Honor Roll last year.Â
Land ended her career in top form, earning the SLC Conference Pair of the Year award alongside partner Marlayna Bullington, SLC first team honors and was named the SLC Student-Athlete of the Year. The Albuquerque, N.M., native competed at the top court all season, tying the program record for wins in a single season with a 28-13 mark.Â
The two-time SLC Pair of the Week recipient finished with 71 career victories, the second-most in program history, and her 45 wins on the top court are the most in the program's record book. A health science major, Land graduated magna cum laude with a 3.76 cumulative GPA.
Gymnastics
Blackson earned CSC Academic All-District honors for the second-straight year, graduating with a 3.84 in health sciences. She tied for sixth on bars at the NCAA Championships, securing her second-career All-America honor.
A native of Elk Grove, Calif., Blackson was named All-Mountain West first team on bars and floor and second team on vault. A seven-time Mountain West Specialist of the Week, she tied the program record on floor (9.950) twice and became the first gymnast in program history to win multiple NCAA Regional events outright.
Lopez was also named CSC Academic All-District for the second-straight year, graduating with a 3.65 in marketing. She was named Mountain West Gymnast of the Year and MW Bars Specialist of the Year.
A native of Mission Viejo, Calif., Lopez announced her plans to return to Boise State for her fifth year. She garnered All-MW first team honors on bars and beam and was named MW Specialist of the Week on 10 occasions.
Rounding out the gymnastics trio was Popp, who was recognized by the CSC for the second time. She was named MW Co-Beam Specialist of the Year, helping the Broncos win the inaugural MW title.
A native of Easton, Pa., Popp maintained a 3.82 GPA in leadership. She was tabbed All-MW first team on beam and second team on vault. Popp was a two-time MW Beam Specialist of the Week and qualified for NCAA Regionals as an individual.
Men's Golf
O'Connor concluded his second season at Boise State after joining the Broncos in 2022-23 from Texas Southern. The finance major from Wellington, New Zealand owns a 4.0 GPA and appeared in 11 events this season. O'Connor's top finish came in the season opener at the Island Resort Collegiate, where he finished T-4th.
Rueck put together an incredible season for the Broncos which culminated in a Mountain West individual title in April. The sophomore from Corvallis, Ore., opened the spring with a victory at the Genesis Collegiate Showcase to earn an exemption to the Scottish Open, and posted three top-10 finishes on the season.Â
He is the seventh men's golfer in Boise State history to earn an individual bid to a NCAA Regional, and his 71.61 average over 36 rounds is the ninth-lowest in school history. Rueck owns a 3.86 GPA while pursuing his degree in finance.Â
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
Vault, Bars, Floor
/ Women's Gymnastics
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
Vault, Bars, Beam
/ Women's Gymnastics
/ Men's Golf
Vault, Beam, Floor
/ Women's Gymnastics
/ Men's Golf
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