BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Reed Bearden (Jr, Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc), Michael Gutman (Sr., Columbus, Ohio/Saint Charles Prep), Derek Kagen (Jr., San Diego, Calif./Clairemont), Teagan Thomas (Jr., St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet Jesuit) and Aleksa Vucurovic (Sr., Novi Sad, Serbia/Cy Fair) of the Mercyhurst University men’s water polo team were among 221 Lakers’ student-athletes named Division 2 (D2) ADA (Athletics Directors Association) Academic Achievement Award recipients for the 2020-21 academic year.
In all, a record-breaking 16,262 individuals from 188 institutions were recognized for the 2020-21 Academic Achievement Awards. This is the most student-athletes being recognized since the inception of the award’s program.
“It is incredible to think that our athletes excelled in the classroom despite having to deal with the many stressors associated with COVID-19. To see once again that a record-breaking number of students are recipients of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award is simply astonishing,” said Dr. Bren Stevens, Vice President for Athletics at the University of Charleston and current D2 ADA President. “I am extraordinarily impressed by the efforts of our member institutions to ensure that they provide special recognition for their respective athletes, as they are certainly deserving.”
In order for a student-athlete to receive an Academic Achievement Award, the athletics director of the Division II institution must be a current dues-paying member of the D2 ADA.
The awards are presented to student-athletes who have maintained a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale, completed at least two years (four semesters) of college-level work and were an active member of a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) team during the last academic year. Given the vast experiences institutions have had this year when it comes to participation, all athletes who meet the first two requirements were eligible as long as they were still an active member of the roster during this academic year.
