Klimchak, LaForest and Ryan Named to Academic All-District
CoSIDA RELEASE
Three Empire 8 men's basketball student-athletes have been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District Teams after excelling on the court and in the classroom.
Stevens Institute of Technology senior
Evan Klimchak was named First Team in District 2, while Hartwick sophomore guard
Brandon LaForest and St. John Fisher College senior
Keegan Ryan were selected to the District 3 First Team.
In order to be considered, a student-athlete must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.30 and serve as a starter or impact contributor off the bench in at least half of his/her team's games.
First-Team Academic All-District honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot where first, second and third team selections will be announced later this month.
The honor is the first of Klimchak's career. Klimchak, engineering management student, has starred on the court as well this season where he leads the Ducks in scoring at 17.9 points per game, starting all 21 games and playing a team-high 28.8 minutes per game. The veteran is shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and 41 percent from three, while also contributing with 3.1 assists, three rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
Earlier this season, Klimchak became the 20th member of the 1,000-point club, hitting the mark with 21 games still remaining in his senior season.
LaForest, a Biology major, is averaging 17.6 points and four rebounds per game for the Hawks this season. He currently leads the Empire 8 Conference in steals averaging 2.1 per outing. In addition, LaForest ranks in the top seven in six other categories. He is fourth in assists (4.0), fifth in blocks (1.0), sixth in three-pointers made (2.2) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6), and seventh in both scoring and field-goal percentage (.475).
A management major, Ryan boasts a grade-point average of 3.56 and was one of just five student-athletes from New York to be selected. The Plattsburgh native currently leads the team in several statistical categories including points per game (17.8), rebounds per game (8.9), field goal percentage (.587) and minutes played (616). A two-time D3hoops.com All-American, Ryan has amassed 39 career double-doubles including nine this season. He has scored 24 points or more in a game four times this season including a season-high 30 points against SUNY Polytechnic to open the 2016-17 campaign.