Feb. 25, 2009
SAN BRUNO, Calif. - Jami Schaefer and Janelle Bekkering of the Gonzaga University women's basketball team, and men's player Josh Heytvelt have been named to the 2009 West Coast Conference All-Academic teams.
Schaefer earned the honor for the third-straight season, while this is Bekkering and Heytvelt's first such accolade.
Schaefer, a senior guard from Spokane, carries a 3.95 grade point average in business administration. Earlier this month she was named to the ESPN The Magazine/College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) District 8 All-Academic team, also for the third time. A captain for the Bulldogs this season, Schaefer is averaging 4.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 assists per game. Schaefer, who started the first 14 games for the Zags this season, missed nine game due to a knee injury, but has returned to the floor to help propel GU to a 22-6 overall mark and a 10-2 record in conference.
Bekkering, sophomore from Taber, Alberta, Canada, has a 3.30 grade point average in civil engineering. She has played in all 28 games for the Zags, getting the starting nod 25 times. The forward is averaging 8.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steal per game. She is second on the squad in 3-pointers made, sinking 25.
Heytvelt, one of five seniors for the Bulldog men, has a 3.50 grade point average as a graduate student in organizational leadership. The forward from Clarkston, Wash., helped Gonzaga win its ninth straight regular-season WCC title by scoring a career-high 28 points versus Pepperdine University Feb. 21 to clinch the title outright. One of four Zags to start all 26 games, Heytvelt averages a team-best 15.0 points per game, along with 6.8 rebounds per contest.
2009 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Name School Class Pos GPA Major
Miranda Ayim PEP Junior F/C 3.67 Public Relations
Janelle Bekkering GON Sophomore G/F 3.30 Civil Engineering
Karlie Burris POR Senior G/F 3.20 Sociology
Tara Cronin POR Sophomore G/F 3.69 Mech. Engineering
Laiken Dollente POR Junior G 3.28 Communication
Elizabeth Doran SCU Senior G 3.93 Bio-Engineering
Lisa Helmers LMU Junior G 3.88 Sociology
Morgan Henderson USD Junior F 3.65 Bus. Administration
Jami Schaefer GON Senior G 3.95 Bus. Administration
Allyson Sievers POR Senior F 3.46 Elementary Education
2009 MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Name School Class Pos GPA Major
Gus Clardy PEP Sophomore F 3.69 History
Ben Dowdell SCU Sophomore F 3.12 Mech. Engineering
Devin Ginty USD Sophomore G 3.31 Undeclared
Christian Hernandez USF Junior G 3.76 Finance
Josh Heytvelt GON Senior F 3.50 Grad-Org. Leadership
Chris Kanne LMU Senior G 3.35 Grad-Business Law
Kramer Knutson POR Sophomore F/C 3.55 Undeclared
Ethan Niedermeyer POR Junior F 3.13 Env. Ethics & Policy
Michael Santos SCU Sophomore G 3.39 Business
Robin Smeulders POR Junior F 3.25 Marketing & Mgmt.
