Student-Athletes and Teams Earn National Academic All-American Honors

WALTERBORO/ALLENDALE, S.C. — The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has released its 2025–26 Academic All-American selections, celebrating student-athletes and programs that maintain exceptional grade point averages while competing at the collegiate level. Twenty-two student-athletes from the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie have been named to this year’s academic teams for earning a two-term GPA of 3.60 or higher.

In addition to individual accolades, two USC Salkehatchie programs secured NJCAA Academic Team of the Year status. The men’s basketball team (3.46 GPA) and the softball team (3.26 GPA) both captured the prestigious honor. To achieve NJCAA Academic Team of the Year status, an entire athletic program must post a 3.00 or above combined GPA for the current academic year and meet all other rigid NJCAA qualifications.

USC Salkehatchie’s individual honorees span six athletic programs: baseball, men’s basketball, men’s soccer, softball, volleyball, and women’s basketball. Men's basketball player Doous Alemdar led the cohort with a perfect 4.00 GPA, earning first-team honors.

"Our student-athletes continue to prove that excellence is achieved both on the court or field and in the classroom," Interim Athletic Director Dani Aquino said. "Balancing the rigorous demands of college athletics with high-level academic performance takes immense dedication and focus. We are incredibly proud of these 22 individuals and our honored programs for representing USC Salkehatchie with distinction and setting a standard of academic excellence for our entire department."

NJCAA Academic All-American Honorees

The following student-athletes received individual honors:

First Team (4.00 GPA)

• Doous Alemdar – Men's Basketball

Second Team (3.80–3.99 GPA)

• Christian Donnelly – Baseball

• Ruben Borg – Men's Basketball

• Gavin Ward – Men's Basketball

• Samuel Brannon – Men's Basketball

• Mats Van Gils – Men's Soccer

• Emasue Kay – Softball

• Shaylynn Scott – Softball

• Eliza Baskins – Women's Basketball

• Madison Kerry – Women's Basketball

Third Team (3.60–3.79 GPA)

• Andrew Hoover – Baseball

• David Barajas – Baseball

• Maleek Taylor – Men's Basketball

• Sebastian Kramar – Men's Basketball

• Zachary Jenkins – Men's Basketball

• Liam Phillips – Men's Basketball

• Rolf Jenkins – Men's Basketball

• Roman Cooley – Men's Basketball

• Guaslin Michel – Men's Soccer

• Cheikh Tidiane Lo – Men's Soccer

• Vashti Williams – Softball

• Martina Sommaruga – Volleyball