International and transfer students recognized for athletic and academic achievement
Wayne State University's student athletes are remarkable not only for their athletic success, but for how they take that success from the court, field, track and gym to the classroom. The GLIAC All-Academic Team for students who achieve a cumulative GPA between 3.0 and 3.49 and GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team for those with a GPA over 3.5 honor those studious student athletes.
Another remarkable thing about WSU's student athletes are those who are transfer or international students, and a handful of these special student athletes recognized by academic honors fit into those groups as well.
Women's Basketball
Sadia Johnson
Management major and Adrian College transfer Sadia Johnson secured herself a place on the GLIAC All-Academic Team by achieving a GPA between 3.0 and 3.49. This is her second straight season being named to the GLIAC All-Academic Team, and she has also been recognized on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll in Winter 2018 for having a GPA over 3.5 for the semester, and the Coach's Honor Roll for Fall 2017 and Fall 2019 for having a GPA between 3.0 and 3.49. Johnson was also named to the All-GLIAC Second Team for her sporting achievements. She hopes to be a pediatrician or physician's assistant in the future.
Women's Cross Country
Aliyah McDonald
Kinesiology major Aliyah McDonald and an international student from Jamaica, McDonald has made it on to her first GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team in her sophomore year. This is not her first academic award, as she has been named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll the past three seasons for having a GPA over 3.5.
Jackie Feist
Pharmacy graduate student Jackie Feist has notched her third straight GLIAC All-Academic Excellence award. Since transferring from Iowa State, where she was on the Big-12 All-Academic First Team. Since transferring to WSU in 2016, she has been named to U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team every year.
Feist's accolades also include the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Dean's Award for having the highest cumulative GPA of any student athlete for the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons. Feist made it on to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll six times for having a GPA over 3.5.
Women's Swimming and Diving
Allison Lennig
Redshirt junior and kinesiology major Allison Lennig is making her second consecutive appearance on the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team for having achieved a GPA over 3.5 for the season. Lennig transferred to WSU from Youngstown State University in 2018, where she was on the Dean's List during her lone semester. She has also earned a spot on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll for having a GPA over 3.5, including two 4.0's.
Jia Yi Koh
Nutrition and food science major and international student Jia Yi Koh is a member of the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team for achieving a cumulative GPA over 3.5. Hailing from Myanmar, this is her second consecutive season on the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team. Since winning Freshman of the Year for the 2017-2018 season, Koh has notched five All-GLAC honors three years in a row including an All-American Honorable Mention in 2019-2020. Koh has also made the Athletic Director's Honor Roll four times for achieving a GPA over 3.5 for the semester.
Men's Swimming and Diving
Joao Martimbianco Ribeiro
Senior and team co-captain Joao Martimbianco Ribeiro of Sao Paulo, Brazil, earned his way on to the All-Academic team by achieving a GPA between 3.0 and 3.49 for the semester. Ribeiro is no stranger to academic and athletic excellence, as he is a three-time member of the Athletic Director Honor Roll (GPA over 3.5) and a three-time member of the Coach's Honor Roll (GPA between 3.0 and 3.49). Ribiero is also a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Franz Mueller
The other international member of the All-Academic Excellence team, sophomore Franz Mueller of Brandenburg, Germany, was a member of the All-Academic team last year but has found his way to the All-Academic Excellence team for his scholarly success. These academic awards are in addition to five All-American and 10 All-GLIAC over the course of just two years at WSU. Mueller is also a member of the WSU Student Leadership Council.
Ahmed Ahmed
Achieving his third straight appearance on the All-Academic Excellence team, senior Ahmed Ahmed of Alexandria, Egypt, is a five time All-GLIAC recipient. Ahmed has made the Athletic Director's Honor Roll four times, including a 4.0 in Fall 2015, and the Coach's Honor Roll five times. Ahmed was also named GLIAC Freshman of the Year in 2015.
By Jacob Stocking, Ed Outreach communications associate.