The 2023 Academic All‐District® Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student‐athletes for their combined performances in competition and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All‐America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. Academic All‐District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All‐America® ballot. First‐, second and third‐team Academic All‐America® honorees will be announced in late December.
This year’s honorees on the women’s side include Isabella Brent (Dearborn Heights, Mich.-Divine Child), Miranda Cadwell (Plainfield, Ill.-Plainfield South), Mair Edwards (Basingstoke, Engalnd-The Costello School), Alysse Wade (Mansfield, Ohio-St. Peter’s), and Chevonee Wheeler (Redford, Mich.-Divine Child). On the men’s side, Toby Gualter (Tawa, New Zealand-Tawa College), Baldvin Magnusson (Akureyri, Iceland-Hull University), Newlyn Stephenson (Gary, Ind.-Thea Bowman Leadership Academy), and Almighty Williamson (Baltimore, Md.-Digital Harbor-Barton C.C.) earned the honor.
A thrower for the EMU women’s team, Brent put together a solid performance in both the indoor and outdoor slate for the Eagles this season. She tossed a career-best 52.11m (170 feet-11 inches) in the hammer throw at the Elaine Leigh Invite, April 20-21, to finish second overall. She notched five top-five finishes across hammer throw and weight throw events, respectfully, this season.
Cadwell was second in the hammer (57.07 meters) at the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships, May 11-13. She took the bronze in the discus (46.31 meters) by posting a personal best and Eastern Michigan school record. For her efforts, she was awarded Second Team All-MAC honors.
Edwards picked up First Team All-MAC honors following the 2023 outdoor slate as she was one of four student-athletes that helped EMU claim gold in the 4 x 400 meter relay. Wheeler, EMU’s female recipient for the MAC Medal of Excellence award in 2023, joined Edwards with First Team All-MAC accolades at the 2023 MAC Outdoor Championships. A member of the winning 4 x400 relay team, the Redford, Mich., native also turned in a personal-best time of 1:04.34 to place sixth in the 400 meter hurdles finals.
Wade was a consistent contributor for EMU this season, registering numerous top-five finishes in either final or preliminary heats across multiple events this season in both indoor and outdoor competition. She claimed first in the 60 meter hurdles at the Silverston Invitational, Feb. 17, and won the same event at the Wolverine Invite, Jan. 7.
Gualter, a Second Team All-MAC selection following both the indoor and outdoor seasons, respectfully, aided the Eagles’ distance events in multiple situations this year. The New Zealand product used a time of 4:17.33 to finish second in the one mile run at the MAC Indoor Championships, Feb. 24-25, and picked up a victory in the same event with a time of 4:04.00 at the Meyo Invitational, Feb. 3-4. Overall, he finished with eight top-five finishes across indoor and outdoor track and field in 2022-23.
Magnusson brought home the league’s top honor as he was named the MAC’s Most Outstanding Track Performer in 2023. The senior, who was also named the league’s most outstanding performer following the 2023 indoor campaign, finished the outdoor season with a first place finish in the 1,500 meter run, second place finish in the 10,000 meter event, and third place finish in the 5,000 meter to collect an incredible 24 points for the Eagles. Magnusson finishes an epic 2022-23 season that saw him claim four individual MAC titles, and earn First Team All-MAC recognition in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field.
Stephenson closed out his indoor track and field career by earning USTFCCCA First Team All-America honors for the first time as he placed seventh in the weight throw at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at the University of New Mexico Friday, March 10. Stephenson’s best throw of the championship was his first, a heave of 22.32 meters (73 feet, 2.75 inches). He is the first Eastern Michigan thrower to compete in the NCAA Championships three times. He placed 11th in 2022 with a throw of 21.52m, while placing 16th with a toss of 19.32m in 2021.
Williamson notched 21 top-five finishes in either final or preliminary heats across multiple events this season in both indoor and outdoor competition. His season highlights include a third place finish in the 60 meter hurdles at the MAC Indoor Championships, Feb. 24-25, as well as a first place finish in the same event at the Silverston Invitational, Feb. 17. He recorded a first place finish in the 60 meter hurdles behind a personal-best time of 7.84 seconds at the BGSU Falcon Early Bird Open, Jan. 14.