BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Salem University’s Milos Popovic (Sr., Nis, Serbia/Gimnasium 9 May) was named to the 2020 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Division II Academic All-District 2 Men’s At-Large Team.
The 2020 Academic All-District® Men’s and Women’s At-Large Teams, selected by CoSIDA, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in athletic competition and in the classroom. The CoSIDA Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and the NAIA.
Due to his selection, Popovic advances to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® ballot. Academic All-America® honorees will be announced from June 16-19. All current dues-paying group and individual members of CoSIDA have the opportunity to vote on the Academic All-America® teams within their division (NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA). Members of the Academic All-America® Core Committee, the CoSIDA Board of Directors and CoSIDA staff members vote for teams in every division.
To be nominated, 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/her current institution. Nominated athletes must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s games to be eligible. In addition, 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.
A Human Resources Management major with a 3.97 grade point average, Popovic graduated this Spring following a standout career for the Tigers.
A 2018 and 2019 Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) Division II All-America First Team selection to become the inaugural athlete in Salem men’s water polo history to claim back-to-back All-America recognition, Popovic ranks among the all-time best in program history.
He concluded his tenure in West Virginia as the Tigers’ all-time scoring leader with school records of 314 goals and 190 assists for 504 points. Popovic is also ranked among the Tigers’ career top five in earned kickouts (second), sprint victories (third) and steals (fourth).
During the 2019 season, Popovic was named Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference-West Region (MAWPC-West) Most Valuable Player. Further, he claimed All-Tournament First Team and Most Valuable Player honors at both the Division II Eastern Championship and the MAWPC-West Region Championship for leading the Tigers to Second and Third Place finishes, respectively.
Overall, he helped Salem claim back-to-back-to-back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Division II Eastern Championship (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), while the team placed Fourth (2016), Third (2017, 2019) and Second (2018) at the MAWPC-West Region Championship.
For his performance, he earned four Division II Eastern Championship All-Tournament First Team honors (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) and was named the 2016 Rookie of the Year to accompany 2019 MVP laurels. Further, he garnered four MAWPC-West All-Conference nods (First Team: 2017, 2018, 2019; Second Team: 2016) with 2016 Rookie of the Year and 2018 MVP notices to go along with four MAWPC-West Championship All-Tournament awards (First Team: 2018, 2019; Second Team: 2016, 2017), the 2016 Rookie of the Year and 2019 MVP awards.
Popovic is the only athlete from Salem to make the Academic All-District team and rates as the lone Division II water polo player on a national list comprised of athletes from the sports of lacrosse, rifle, skiing, fencing, swimming and diving, tennis, golf, volleyball, gymnastics, water polo, ice hockey and wrestling.
Overall, a total of five men’s water polo garnered recognition in all divisions (Division I, II, III, NAIA) as he joins Noah Hodge (Division I District I), Ben Hallock of Stanford University (Division I District 8), Clyde Huitbregtse of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Division III District 1) and Zach Rossman of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (Division III District 8).
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