Dexter headlines GNAC all-academic team

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Wednesday, April 26, 2017 Dexter headlines GNAC all-academic team

MSUB ties for the most academic all-GNAC selections, and junior Bailee Dexter holds the top GPA in the conference among women’s golfers at 3.94. Connor Miele represents MSUB on the men’s academic all-GNAC selections.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Tied for the most academic all-Great Northwest Athletic Conference selections with four, the Montana State University Billings women’s golf team was recognized by the conference office Wednesday for its excellence in the classroom.

Senior Haley Shackelford was one of three players to earn academic all-conference for three years running, and junior Bailee Dexter won the award for the second straight season. Sophomores Kortney McNeil and Shealyn Hafer were each fist time selections for the MSUB women.

On the men’s side, senior Connor Miele represented the Yellowjackets with academic all-GNAC accolades.

Dexter, and English major with a 3.94 GPA, holds the top mark in all of the conference. On the course, she ranked ninth in the league in scoring average this year at 79.5 strokes per round.

Shackelford won the honor as a sophomore and junior, and maintained her lofty GPA to the tune of 3.61 as she completes her degree in special education. Shackelford posted a scoring average of 83.9 this season for the ‘Jackets.

Fresh off a third-place finish at Tuesday’s GNAC Championships, McNeil earned academic honors after carrying a stellar 3.82 GPA while studying pre-professional nursing. McNeil finished the year with a scoring average of 79.9, and had four top-10 finishes in her second year with the ‘Jackets.

After a breakout season on the course, Hafer earned academic honors for holding a 3.52 GPA while studying special education. Hafer held a scoring average of 80.0 this year, and carded a low round of 75 with three top-10 finishes.

On the men’s side, Miele won the award by carrying a 3.55 GPA while studying business management. The senior had a scoring average of 76.2 this year, and twice finished in the top-5 at an event with a low-round score of 68.

A total of 14 women’s players and 16 men’s players earned academic all-conference, which requires a GPA of 3.20 or higher and an individual to be in his or her second year of competition with a team.

The Yellowjackets completed their 2016-17 campaigns at the GNAC Championships this week, with the women tying for third place and the men taking sixth.

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