Ryann Krais Named An Academic All-American

Earns first team status for efforts on track, in classroom

June 21, 2012

2012 Academic All-America Team 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State senior Ryann Krais has amassed a number of awards during her career for both her athletic and academic achievements. The Big 12 champion added to her trophy case this week as she was named to the Capital One Academic All-America First Team. The honor adds to her already impressive list of academic awards just this season alone. At the NCAA Championship she received the NCAA Elite 89 Award recognizing her as the top student-athlete in the classroom at the NCAA Championship meet. She also received the Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship from the Big 12.

The Capital One Academic All-America Team is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors Association and takes both academic and athletic success into account. This season, Krais won the Big 12 Championship outdoors in the heptathlon and indoors in the pentathlon. She finished fifth in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championship and 14th outdoors. Krais earned her degree in psychology this May with a 3.95 GPA.

To be eligible for Academic All-America, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing and be nominated by his or her sports information director for Academic All-District. Student-athletes selection to their respective district’s first team are then eligible for voting onto the Academic All-America Team.

With her selection to the Academic All-America Team, Krais adds to another successful season in the classroom for K-State student-athletes. Football player Tysyn Hartman was named a finalist for the Campbell Trophy and awarded a scholarship for postgraduate studies. He also was selected as a member of the first team of Capital One Academic All-America Team. Victor Ojeleye from the men’s basketball team received the prestigious Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award over more than 600 candidates. Ojeleye graduated this spring and was a three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection. Earlier this week, the K-State Athletics Department announced all 16 of its teams met and exceeded the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate standards for the second straight year.