UOlivet lands eight men’s and women’s basketball players on CSC Academic All-District® teams

OLIVET, Mich. – Eight student-athletes on The University of Olivet men's and women's basketball teams have been selected to the 2024-25 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® team. The honorees are seniors Nolan Finkbeiner and Mason Wichman, and sophomores Aden Hathaway and Conner Schipper from the men's team, and seniors Lily Connelly and Clara Shoales, junior Kinsley Hatfield and sophomore Christina Malackanich from the women's team. Shoales is now a three-time honoree, while Connelly and Finkbeiner earned this honor for a second straight season.

To be selected to the Academic All-District® team, the player must have a 3.50 or higher cumulative grade point average and started in 90 percent of the team's games OR played in 66 percent of the team's games. Each school was also limited to four nominations per gender.

Finkbeiner, a biology with pre-medicine concentration major, played in all 27 games, with six starts. He averaged 4.2 points per game (ppg). Twenty-eight of his 35 made baskets were three-pointers. Finkbeiner's single-game scoring high was 19 points in an 85-69 win over Alma College.

Hathaway, a biology major, started 20-of-27 games. He posted a 3.4 scoring average. His single-game scoring high was eight points on three occasions.

Schipper, a sports and recreation management major, was the only Comet to start all 27 games. He earned All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association First Team honors after averaging 14.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Schipper scored in double figures in 21 games, with a scoring high of 26 points against Calvin University.

Wichman is majoring in accounting and finance. He played in 25 games and averaged 2.6 ppg. He scored a single-game high 11 points at Calvin.

Connelly, a criminal justice major and sports and recreation minor, started all 25 games and led the Comets in nearly every statistical category – 15.0 points, 5.1 assists and 2.6 steals per game. Connelly's single-game scoring high was xxx points in a 76-73 win over Saint Mary's (Ind.) College. She also dished out a single-game best 10 assists at Bluffton (Ohio) University. Connelly ends her UOlivet career ranked second all-time with 177 steals and third with 311 assists. 

Hatfield, a psychology major, played in all 25 games, with 15 starts. She averaged 5.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Hatfield's single-game high was nine points on four occasions.

Malackanich, a criminal justce major, started each of the 25 games. She led Olivet with 200 total rebounds (8.0 per game) and was second in scoring (9.8 ppg) and blocks (21). Malackanich's single-game scoring high was 21 points in a 61-58 win over Kalamazoo College.

Shoales is a chemistry major. She also started all 25 games and recorded a 5.6 scoring average, while blocking a team-best 23 shots. Shoales had a single-game scoring high of 12 points at Denison (Ohio) University and Kalamazoo.

Following a vetting process by a national committee, Schipper is the only UOlivet student-athlete who will advance to the Academic All-America® ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced April 15, 2025.

The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes men's and women's basketball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. The Division III CSC Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2024-25 Division III Academic All-America® programs. For more information about CSC Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit www.academicallamerica.com.