2017 CoSIDA Academic All-District Team (PDF)
BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Nicholas Willison (Sr., Rockford, Mich./Rockford) of Washington & Jefferson College has been named to the 2017 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Division III Academic All-District IV At-Large Team. He now moves on to the national ballot where first, second and third team Academic All-America honorees will be announced later this month.
District IV is made up of all National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III schools in Pennsylvania. He is one of six men’s water polo players in all divisions joining Luke Weiser of Brown University and (Division I), Michael Squeglia of Gannon University (Division II), David Maes of Fresno Pacific University (Division II), Joseph Moorman of California Baptist University (Division II) and Mihajlo Milicevic of the University of Southern California (Division I).
Additionally, he is the only dual sport male student-athlete to receive Academic All-District At-Large honors, spanning all divisions (NCAA Divisions I, II and III, the NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools), as Willison competed in water polo and swimming during his four-year tenure as a President.
A 2016 CoSIDA Division III Academic All-America First Team selection and now a two-time All-Academic District Pick, he is a seven-time Dean’s List recipient with a 3.99 cumulative grade-point average as a chemistry major and mathematics minor. Willison will attend Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in the Fall to pursue a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree.
As a sophomore, he earned the prestigious Rule, Hughes, Murphy Prize, which is awarded to sophomores with strong character and who demonstrate leadership in both the classroom and college community. He is also a member of Alpha Lambda Delta, Alpha Phi Omega and Gamma Sigma Alpha honor societies, as well as a Peer Assisted Learning tutor and member of the Pre-Health Professions Society.
As a water polo player, Willison compiled 247 goals and 54 assists in his career. As a swimmer, Willison is the current individual record holder in the 50 freestyle and 100 and 200 backstroke and is part of the record-holding 200 and 400 medley relay teams and the 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams.
This is the sixth year of the expanded Academic All-America program as CoSIDA moved from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non Division I) and has doubled the number of scholar-athletes honored. The expanded teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division Academic All-America Team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools. The Academic All-District teams are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada.
To be nominated by an institution for Academic All-America honors, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his current institution.
Nominated athletes must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s games at the position listed on the nomination form (where applicable). Athletes who have not participated in at least 50 percent of their team’s contests are not eligible. No student-athlete is eligible until he/she has completed one full calendar year at his/her current institution and has reached sophomore athletic eligibility.
Male water polo recipients compete with athletes from the following sports: Fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming, tennis, volleyball and wrestling.
Information courtesy Washington & Jefferson College Athletics Communications
