CLEVELAND -- ODU wrestler Jack Dechow was named a MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete for winter sports by the conference office on Friday.
The Distinguished Scholar Athlete is a second-year award given to students who have excelled in athletics and academics. Following each season from the winter 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.
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 Distinguished Scholar Athlete Award for the 2015-16 season. The number of Distinguished Scholar Athletes from each sport were equivalent to the number of first-team selections or 33% of nominees, whichever was greater.
Dechow, who maintains a 3.22 GPA in communications off the mats, qualified for his third-straight NCAA Championships this season while accumulating a 21-5 record. The redshirt from junior Richmond, Illinois went 3-2 at nationals, earning wins over Campbell's Ville Heino, Penn State's No. 16 Matt McCutcheon and avenging a MAC finals loss to No. 15 Jordan Ellingwood of Central Michigan.
For the full release from the conference office, click here.
2015-16 MAC Wrestling Distinguished Scholar Athletes (12):
Zach Horan, Central Michigan, Senior, 3.85 GPA, MSA: Leadership (Nazareth, PA)
Corey Keener, Central Michigan, Junior, 3.23 GPA, Physical Education (Schuylkill Haven, PA)
Nicholas Barber, Eastern Michigan, Junior, 3.76 GPA, General Business (Cleveland, OH)
*Tyler Buckwalter, Kent State, Senior, 3.94 GPA, Physical Education (Mill Hall, PA)
Kyle Conel, Kent St., Sophomore, 3.51 GPA, Computer Science (Ashtabula, OH)
*Mack McGuire, Kent St., Senior, 3.29 GPA, Speech Pathology & Audiology (Upper St. Clair, PA)
Devin Nye, Kent St., Sophomore, 3.81 GPA, Exercise Science (Springfield, OH)
*Willie Miklus, Missouri, Sophomore, 3.40 GPA, Psychology (Altoona, IA)
Zach Synon, Missouri, Junior, 3.50 GPA, Business Administration (Cary, IL)
Spartak Chino, Ohio, Senior, 3.634 GPA, General Business (Wheaton, IL)
*Cody Walters, Ohio, Senior, 3.273 GPA, Physical Education (Macedonia, OH)
Jack Dechow, Old Dominion, 3.22 GPA, Communications (Richmond, IL)
*2014-15 Distinguished Scholar Athlete