COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The National Collegiate Hockey Conference announced today that 111 student-athletes have been recognized for outstanding academic achievement.
Twenty members of the Omaha hockey team were named to the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team, the most of the eight conference schools. To make the team, student-athletes must compile a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better and have completed one year at their current schools.
Those named to the Academic All-Conference Team include:
Riley Alferd,
Alex Blankenburg,
Lukas Buchta,
Grant Gallo,
Ryan Galt,
Colin Grannary,
Ryan Jones,
Zach Jordan,
Tristan Keck,
Jordan Klehr,
Joel Messner,
Mason Morelli,
Luke Nogard,
Kris Oldham,
Fredrik Olofsson,
David Pope,
Jake Randolph,
Steven Spinner,
Dean Stewart and
Tyler Vesel.
In addition, 10 Mavericks were named NCHC Distinguished Scholars (3.5 GPA or better), again leading all conference schools. Remarkably, five Mavericks have GPAs north of 3.7. Alferd, Blankenburg, Buchta, Galt, Jordan, Klehr, Messner, Morelli, Olofsson and Vesel all earned Distinguished Scholar honors.
Additional recognition for freshmen comes in the summer after they have completed one full year.
The Mavericks have led the NCHC in Academic All-Conference recognition in four of its five years of existence. Last season, 25 of 27 UNO players were named to the Academic All-Conference Team.
The 2017-18 NCHC Senior Scholar-Athlete Award will be announced at the NCHC Awards Celebration on Thursday, March 15 in Saint Paul, Minn. on the eve of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
