CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference announced the Distinguished Scholar Athletes from the seven fall sports during the 2018-19 academic season on Saturday, Dec. 22. 110 students were voted by faculty athletic representatives at MAC institutions representing the 'best of the best' from each sports Academic All-MAC Teams. Maria McDaniel and Juliane Sormain represented Western Michigan cross country. 

The Distinguished Scholar Athlete is a fifth-year award given to students who have excelled in athletics and academics.  Following each season from the fall sports schedule, any student with a 3.20 GPA and participation in at least 50 percent of the contests was automatically named to the previously announced Academic All-MAC Team from each sport.  Also, first-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence were not eligible for the award.
 
From the Academic All-MAC Teams, the faculty athletic representatives selected the 'best of the best' of our Academic All-MAC Teams to be honored with a 3.50 GPA or higher with the Distinguished Scholar Athlete Award for the 2018-19 season.  The number of Distinguished Scholar Athletes from each sport were equivalent to the number of first-team selections or 20% of nominees, whichever was greater.

McDaniel and Sormain were two of seven Broncos to earn Academic All-MAC honors. McDaniel also received the MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete award last season for track & field, while the honor is the first career for Sormain. 

Redshirt Senior Maria McDaniel, who maintains a 3.94 GPA majoring in interdisciplinary health services, has twice earned academic honors previously during the track seasons while missing the past two cross country seasons due to injury. McDaniel bounced back during her final go-around in Brown & Gold to earn All-MAC Second Team honors, finishing ninth at the MAC Championships with a time of 21:17. 

Junior Juliane Sormain earns her first academic honor with a 3.83 GPA majoring in economics. Sormain was one of three Broncos to earn All-MAC honors at the MAC Championships, finishing in 14th with a time of 21:32.6 to receive All-MAC Second Team recognition.

2018 MAC Women's Cross Country Distinguished Scholar-Athletes (10):
Mackenzie Andrews, Akron, Junior, 3.878 GPA, Physical/Health Education (Toowoomba, Australia)
*#^Rachel Walny, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.66 GPA, Human Movement Sport Leisure Study (Clinton Township, Mich.)
*#Natalie Cizmas, Eastern Michigan, Senior, 3.72 GPA, Exercise Science (Clinton Township. Mich.)
*#Sydney Meyers, Eastern Michigan, Senior, 3.90 GPA, Marketing (Zionsville, Ind.)
Maegan Murphy, Miami, Junior, 4.00 GPA, Microbiology & Premedical Studies (Mason, Ohio)
Ashley Tutt, Northern Illinois, Sophomore, 3.839 GPA, History (Channahon, Ill.)
*#Alyssa Atkinson, Ohio, Senior, 4.00 GPA, Electrical Engineering w/Computer Ener. (Granville, Ohio)
*Athena Welsh, Toledo, Junior, 3.6180 GPA, Marketing (Louisville, Ohio)
Maria McDaniel, Western Michigan, Senior, 3.94 GPA, Interdisciplinary Health Services (Naperville, Ill.)
Juliane Sormain, Western Michigan, Junior, 3.83 GPA, Economics (Cachan, France)
 
*2017 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete
#2016 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete
^2015 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete