GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Senior basketball player Kyle Steigenga has been named as the 2017-18 Google Cloud Academic All-America® of the Year for the College Division, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He is the first in school history to earn this honor as it recognizes the top student athlete among all NAIA, 2-year and Canadian schools across all sports.

Steigenga, who was first team All-District and first team Academic All-American the last three seasons in basketball and first team All-District and second team Academic American this last two seasons in Track & Field, led the Golden Eagle basketball squad in scoring (20.8) while ranking second in rebounding (8.5), FG% (.599) and fourth in assists (80). He totaled 13 double-doubles on the season and led CU to the NAIA National Tournament Quarterfinals with a final record of 30-5.

"To be chosen as the recipient of an award that epitomizes the true definition of a student-athlete is a high honor," said Kyle Steigenga.  "However, I could not have achieved what I did in the classroom and on the court in my four years if it were not for the tremendous support I received from my teachers, coaches, teammates, fellow students, and many others in the Cornerstone community."

He took the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Player of the Year accolades for the second straight season and was a finalist for the Small College Basketball's Bevo Francis Award, which goes to the nation's top small-college basketball player.

Kyle finished this season and his career as the state of Michigan's all-time leader in points with 3,023 and also the NAIA DII National Tournament's leader in points (332) and rebounds (135).

"Kyle is a special young man and it's a tremendous honor for him to receive this prestigious award," said Cornerstone men's basketball coach Kim Elders.  "I'm obviously biased, but no one deserves this award more than Kyle.  He's an outstanding person both on and off the court while his accomplishments on the court speak for themselves.  What he's done in the classroom is remarkable and I'm so proud of Kyle.  He's a once in a lifetime player/person and it's been my privilege to have been his coach the last four years."

The CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division teams include student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions and Kyle was voted to the top spot amongst any sport including M/W Soccer, Volleyball, W-Basketball, Baseball, Softball, T&F/XC and At-Large sports.
 
Previous College Division Winners
2016-17 - Leah Esposito (Carroll – Mont.)
2015-16 - Leah Esposito (Carroll – Mont.)
2014-15 – Wanessa Siqueira (Park – Mo.)
2013-14 – Stephen Lunney (Martin Methodist – Tenn.)
2012-13 – Mia Persson (Lindsey Wilson – Ky.)
2011-12 – Jamie Achten (Lee – Tenn.)
 
 
Men's Basketball Contact: Aaron Sagraves
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