Six Fighting Knights Collect CoSIDA All-District Plaudits

May 17, 2019

CoSIDA Academic All-District

Greenwood, Ind. – Lynn University was among the top institutions in Division II to garner Google Cloud Academic All-District 5 At-Large recognition, following the announcement by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Thursday. Helen Kreuzer and Krissy Ortiz of women’s golf, Catalina Berraud-Galea and Sarah Hughes from women’s swimming and Collin McClelland and Conrad Rhein from men’s lacrosse all earned First Team accolades and are now eligible for Academic All-America recognition.

Out of District 5, Lynn and West Florida both led the way with a combined six selections between the men and women. This is the second consecutive CoSIDA All-District honor for Ortiz and Berraud-Galea and the first for the other four Fighting Knights.

The 2018-19 Lynn University Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Rhein boasts a 4.0 GPA in his entrepreneurial management MBA program after completing his undergraduate degree last year at Lynn with a 3.97 GPA. He has served as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the past two years and has earned Sunshine State Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll accolades every semester. On the field, Rhein finishes his career with 48 points, including the 10th-most goals (32) all-time in school history.

Lynn lacrosse’s staring goalkeeper the past three seasons, McClelland heads into his senior year with a 3.86 GPA in criminal justice. He was a Second Team All-SSC selection this season after leading the SSC (9^th in D2) in goals-against average (8.89) and ranking second in the league in save percentage (52.7%). The Ellicott City, Md. native became the program’s all-time careers save leader this season and picked up three SSC Defensive Player of the Week awards.

Kreuzer collects academic laurels on the heels of leading the women’s golf program to its first NCAA Division II National Championship since 2015. In her breakout season, she led the team in stroke average (73.07) and top-10 finishes (nine) while garnering All-SSC First Team, All-South Region and First Team All-America recognition. The junior out of Bensheim, Germany, logged a 3.98 GPA in sports management.

Ortiz concluded her stellar four-year career with the Blue and White at the 2019 NCAA Division II Women’s Golf National Championship with a birdie putt. In her final season at Lynn, the Second Team All-SSC and First All-South Region honoree set career-highs for stroke average and top-10 finishes and ends her time with the Fighting Knights first in total round played (118), tied for sixth in tournament victories (two) and ninth in top-10 finishes (15). Ortiz graduated with a 3.93 GPA in international business management.

Berraud-Galea is one of the top student-athletes in her sport after graduating with a 4.0 GPA in sports management and becoming the first women’s swimmer, and 29^th student-athlete in Division II, to be a two-time NCAA Elite 90 Award winner. She capped off her career with a bronze in the 1650 freestyle at the SSC Championships, giving her six medals in four years, while becoming the second swimmer in program history to be a four-time NCAA National Championship participant. Berraud-Galea was also awarded the 2018-19 Lynn University Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.

Hughes earns academic honors for the first time and adds this accolade to a laundry list of awards. She was named a First Team All-SSC selection for the second consecutive year and became the second swimmer in school history to win four individual medals and a relay medal at the SSC Championship, giving her eight medals in three seasons with the Blue and White. The Northampton, England product also earned College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) All-America recognition for the 200 breaststroke and 400 individual medley, the second and third All-America accolades of her career. Hughes graduated with a 3.84 GPA in environmental studies.

About the Fighting Knights
Lynn University’s national champion Fighting Knights compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, softball, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and volleyball. The university’s 19 intercollegiate teams are home to over 300 student athletes. Lynn is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II institution and winner of 24 national championships and 42 Sunshine State Conference titles. Representing spirit, service and strength, the Fighting Knights strive for greatness through athletic performance and academic excellence. For more information, visit: lynnfightingknights.com.

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