KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced its initial Academic All-Conference Team this afternoon. Western Michigan had 16 players on the list, including 10 Distinguished Scholar Athletes. 

To be eligible for the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team, a student-athlete must compile a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average or better, while having completed at least one full academic year at his current institution. Student-athletes that have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better are honored as NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athletes, in addition to Academic All-Conference.

WMU had the second most Distinguished Scholar Athletes in the conference and the third most Academic All-Conference honorees. 

The Western Michigan Academic All-Conference selections were: Jacob Bauer, Trevor Bishop, Cole Burtch, Cedric Fiedler, Zak Galambos, Luke Grainger, Chad Hillebrand, Daniel Hilsendager, Cam Knuble, Hugh Larkin, Kirk Laursen, Cameron Rowe, Samuel Sjolund, Tim Washe, Dylan Wendt and Ethan Wolthers. 

Bauer, Bishop, Burtch, Grainger, Hillebrand, Hilsendager, Laursen, Sjolund, Washe and Wolthers were the 10 student-athletes to earn Distinguished Scholar Athlete status. 

While freshmen and first-year transfers, including graduate transfers, are not currently eligible for the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team or Distinguished Scholar-Athlete recognition (due to not having a full year at their current school), those freshmen and transfers that achieve a cumulative 3.0 GPA or better at the conclusion of the 2023-24 academic year will be added to the Academic All-Conference Team over the summer. Similarly, any freshmen or first-year transfers who compile a 3.5 GPA or better will be named an NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete. 

The 2023-24 NCHC Senior Scholar-Athlete Award, chosen from senior Distinguished Scholar Athletes, will be announced at the annual NCHC Awards Celebration, which will be held at the St. Paul Event Center on Thursday, March 21 in Saint Paul, Minn.