Colorado University Athletics
Photo by: Samuel Marshall
Seven Buffs Earn Pac-12 All-Academic Honors
March 10, 2017 | Women's Basketball
Haley Smith named to the second team
SAN FRANCISCO - Colorado had seven women's basketball players named to the Pac-12 All-Academic team on Friday. It is the most players CU has had earn conference all-academic honors since 10 Buffs were honored by the Big 12 in 2002. CU's seven honorees are also the second-most in the Pac-12 this season behind Stanford's eight.
To qualify, student-athletes must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher and have been enrolled at their current institution for more than one year. They also have to have participated in at least 50 percent of their team's contests.
Haley Smith was selected to the second team, while Zoe Beard-Fails, Monica Burich, Zoe Correal, Makenzie Ellis, Kennedy Leonard and Brecca Thomas were all named to the honor roll.
Smith, a senior from Sammamish, Washington, has a 3.671 GPA while majoring in mechanical engineering. This is the third time in her career she has earned all-academic honors from the Pac-12. On the court, she has started all 30 games for CU and is averaging 10.4 points and a team-best 6.3 rebounds. Smith is third on the team with 57 steals and she was also named honorable mention all-Pac-12 and honorable mention Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.
Beard-Fails, a senior from Herndon, Virginia, has a 3.304 GPA in advertising. This is also the third time in her career she has earned the award. She has played in 26 games and made two starts as a forward/center this season, averaging 4.1 points and 2.6 rebounds, while shooting 48.7 percent from the floor.
Burich, a redshirt freshman from Roseville, Minnesota, has a 3.710 GPA in business. She has appeared in all 30 contests as a reserve forward and is averaging 4.3 points and 3.5 rebounds, playing 13.1 minutes per game.
Correal, a junior from San Francisco, California, has a 3.282 GPA in psychology. She has started 28 games and played in all 30 at center. She's also averaging 4.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, while shooting a team-best 53.8 percent from the floor. It is the second academic all-conference award of her career.
Ellis, a sophomore from Tulsa, Oklahoma, has a 3.498 GPA in integrative physiology. She has started all 30 games at forward and is averaging 6.2 points and 4.1 rebounds, while adding 36 steals.
Leonard, a sophomore from Southlake, Texas, has a 3.048 GPA and is an open option major. She leads the team in scoring, assists and steals, averaging 16.8 points, 5.7 assists and 2.5 steals. She also ranks among the conference leaders in all three of those categories. Leonard was named first-team all-Pac-12 by both the coaches and the media.
Thomas, a junior from Stafford, Texas, has a 3.092 GPA in strategic communication. She has played in 22 games as a reserve guard and is averaging 1.2 points per game. This is the second time she has earned all-academic honors from the Pac-12.
CU is currently 15-15 this season and is awaiting to find out if it is selected to the WNIT on Monday night.
To qualify, student-athletes must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher and have been enrolled at their current institution for more than one year. They also have to have participated in at least 50 percent of their team's contests.
Haley Smith was selected to the second team, while Zoe Beard-Fails, Monica Burich, Zoe Correal, Makenzie Ellis, Kennedy Leonard and Brecca Thomas were all named to the honor roll.
Smith, a senior from Sammamish, Washington, has a 3.671 GPA while majoring in mechanical engineering. This is the third time in her career she has earned all-academic honors from the Pac-12. On the court, she has started all 30 games for CU and is averaging 10.4 points and a team-best 6.3 rebounds. Smith is third on the team with 57 steals and she was also named honorable mention all-Pac-12 and honorable mention Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.
Beard-Fails, a senior from Herndon, Virginia, has a 3.304 GPA in advertising. This is also the third time in her career she has earned the award. She has played in 26 games and made two starts as a forward/center this season, averaging 4.1 points and 2.6 rebounds, while shooting 48.7 percent from the floor.
Burich, a redshirt freshman from Roseville, Minnesota, has a 3.710 GPA in business. She has appeared in all 30 contests as a reserve forward and is averaging 4.3 points and 3.5 rebounds, playing 13.1 minutes per game.
Correal, a junior from San Francisco, California, has a 3.282 GPA in psychology. She has started 28 games and played in all 30 at center. She's also averaging 4.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, while shooting a team-best 53.8 percent from the floor. It is the second academic all-conference award of her career.
Ellis, a sophomore from Tulsa, Oklahoma, has a 3.498 GPA in integrative physiology. She has started all 30 games at forward and is averaging 6.2 points and 4.1 rebounds, while adding 36 steals.
Leonard, a sophomore from Southlake, Texas, has a 3.048 GPA and is an open option major. She leads the team in scoring, assists and steals, averaging 16.8 points, 5.7 assists and 2.5 steals. She also ranks among the conference leaders in all three of those categories. Leonard was named first-team all-Pac-12 by both the coaches and the media.
Thomas, a junior from Stafford, Texas, has a 3.092 GPA in strategic communication. She has played in 22 games as a reserve guard and is averaging 1.2 points per game. This is the second time she has earned all-academic honors from the Pac-12.
CU is currently 15-15 this season and is awaiting to find out if it is selected to the WNIT on Monday night.
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