Gustavus Adolphus College junior women’s hockey player Melissa Mackley and senior women’s golfer Kimbra Kosak have been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Women’s At-Large Team as released by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Mackley, a College Division First Team selection, and Kosak, a College Division Second Team selection, are the fifth and sixth Gustavus student-athletes to be named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans this year.
Melissa Mackley (Burnsville, Minn.), a 2009 First Team AHCA All-America and All-MIAC selection, was a captain for the Gustavus women’s hockey team this season. Mackley led the Gusties in scoring with eight goals and 19 assists for 27 points. She finished second in the MIAC in scoring with seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points, second in assists with 15 and second in power play points with nine (1g, 8a). A biology and pre-medicine major with a 3.95 gpa, Mackley is the daughter of Clarence and Icy Mackley of Burnsville and a 2006 graduate of Burnsville High School.
Kimbra Kosak (Grand Rapids, Minn.), finished tied for 27th individually at the 2009 NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championships in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where she helped the Gusties post a third place team finish. Kosak was a honorable mention All-America honoree in 2007 and 2008 and Midwest All-Region honoree in 2008 and 2009. She received the Division III Kim Moore Spirit Award from the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) in 2008. Kosak was also recently named the Senior Player of the Year by the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) golf coaches. Kosak, an elementary education major with a 3.85 gpa, is the daughter of Mary Kosak and the late Jim Kosak of Grand Rapids and a 2005 graduate Grand Rapids High School.
Mackley and Kosak become the 79th and 80th Gustavus student athletes to be named to a CoSIDA Academic All-America team. Mackley is the third women’s hockey player and Kosak is the second women’s golfer to be honored by CoSIDA. Gustavus ranks seventh among all Division III institutions in number of CoSIDA Academic All-Americans (80).
The Academic All-America Teams program honors male and female student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors of America; a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. The women’s at-large program for Academic All-America includes the sports of bowling, crew, fencing, golf, gymnastics, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis, and water polo.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.