April 11, 2018
CLEVELAND - Chandler Smith was named to the Women's Scholar Athlete Team announced by the DI-AAA Athletics Directors Association Wednesday.
The 10 winners of the 16th Annual Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA) Scholar-Athlete Awards presented by ARMS Software were announced by the Association.
Smith, who led the Zags in minutes played this season, was previously honored this year as an Academic All-District and All-Conference selection, and is pursuing her master's in business administration with a 3.94 GPA, having already received her undergraduate degree in marketing. On the court, she averaged 9.4 points per game this season, third on the team, and 5.7 rebounds per game, second on the Zags. Smith added 2.7 assists per game, third on the team, and 1.9 steals per game, first on the team and sixth in the conference. She was also second on the Zags and 11th in the West Coast Conference, blocking .7 shots per game.
She is the sixth Zag to be honored with the award in program history, and fourth under head coach Lisa Fortier, joining Kiara Kudron from last season, Shelby Cheslek from 2016 and Sunny Greinacher from 2015.
"On behalf of the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association, I would like to congratulate the recipients of the Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards as well as those who have earned a postgraduate scholarship," stated Tim Hall, current Division I-AAA ADA President and athletics director at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). "Our association prides itself in honoring student-athletes who model success both in the classroom and in their sport. These recipients are proof that student-athletes have the ability to devote their time to their studies and still perform at the highest level of collegiate athletics."
Basketball players from all Division I-AAA ADA member institutions are eligible for these prestigious awards. Each of the nominees was required to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.20 - on a 4.00 scale - in undergraduate study and have been a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletics credentials. Nominated student-athletes must have participated in at least 50 percent (50%) of the team's games listed on the nomination form. To be eligible for nomination to the Scholar-Athlete Team, he/she must have reached junior academic standing at their institution (ineligible athletics transfers are NOT eligible).
Women's Scholar-Athlete Team
| Name | Institution | GPA | Major |
| Lindsey Abed | University of Hartford | 3.61 | Psychology |
| Taylor Gradinjan | FGCU | 4 | Exercise Science |
| Mart'e Grays | DePaul University | 3.29 | Sociology |
| Kamila Hoskova | Rider University | 3.86 | Math & Economics |
| Jackie Kemph | Saint Louis University | 3.76 | Accounting |
| Brittany Mbamalu | Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | 3.6 | Public Administration |
| Sally McCabe | Belmont University | 3.86 | Psychology |
| Victoria Rampado | Niagara University | 3.59 | Education |
| Chandler Smith | Gonzaga University | 3.94 | Marketing |
| Kylee Smith | Belmont University | 3.92 | Busines Administration |
About Division I-AAA ADA: Now in its 17th year, the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance initiatives common to its Division I-AAA membership (the 99 Division I institutions that do not sponsor football), in particular, aspects related to their flagship basketball programs. For more information on the Division I-AAA ADA, please visit www.div1aaa-ada.com. The Division I-AAA ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 53rd year. For more information on NACDA and the 17 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.
