HAVERFORD, Pa. – Haverford College senior Samantha Wetzel has been named to the 2017-18 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District team, the organization announced on Thursday afternoon.
The award recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. Wetzel was one of six student-athletes to pick up the honor in NCAA Division III District 4, which encompasses institutions in Pennsylvania. Wetzel is now automatically eligible for nomination for Academic All-America, with voting starting next week.
To be eligible for nomination, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with a 3.30 cumulative grade point average while completing at least one calendar year at her current institution and reaching sophomore standing.
The product of Sicklerville, N.J., will graduate this spring with a degree in economics and a minor in statistics. Wetzel has been named to the Centennial Conference Honor Roll in each season of eligibility and was named the Centennial Conference Women's Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year a season ago.
Wetzel has been a force both offensively and defensively for the Fords this season and currently sits eighth in the nation in blocked shots with 75. Wetzel's 78 blocked shots a season ago were the most in single-season program history. The senior's 263 career blocked shots is the Haverford career record in the category.
Haverford's co-captain currently ranks in the top 50 in the nation in defensive rebounds per game and her 10 double-double outputs ranks 68th in the nation. Wetzel owns Haverford's all-time career record for defensive rebounds and is in the top 10 in Haverford career history in field goal percentage, free throw percentage, total rebounds and points.
Wetzel is the first member of the Haverford women's basketball team to be chosen for an Academic All-District team.
Wetzel and the Fords open Centennial Conference tournament play on Friday night at 8 p.m. with semifinal action against No. 25 Muhlenberg at Gettysburg's Bream Gym. The winner of the contest will advance to meet the winner of the Johns Hopkins/Gettysburg semifinal in the Centennial Conference Championship on Saturday at 5 p.m.