May 27, 2020

Brandon Ball Named to CoSIDA Academic All-District Team for Second-Straight Year

Posted May 27, 2020 10:06 PM
fhsuathletics.com
fhsuathletics.com

HAYS, Kan. - Brandon Ball of Fort Hays State Wrestling landed on the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team for At-Large Sports a second-straight year on Thursday (May 21). Ball is one of just 10 student-athletes on the District 7 Team, chosen from several sports that are part of the At-Large category. Men's sports included in the at-large category include wrestling, fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and water polo.

Ball is a Technology Studies major at Fort Hays State. He carried a 3.81 cumulative GPA into the 2020 spring semester. CoSIDA Academic All-District and All-America programs are voted on based off both a student-athlete's academic and athletic accomplishments. Ball was an Academic All-America selection for At-Large sports in 2019 and will be on the ballot once again this year with the All-District selection.

Ball was one of the top wrestlers in NCAA Division II throughout his career. He earned All-America honors for the third time in his career in 2020 by finishing 16-1 overall. After a fourth-place national finish in 2019, Ball was poised to make a run at the individual national title once again. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA Wrestling Championships were canceled. With no championship event to determine All-America performers this year, the NWCA voted on All-America honors for 2020. Ball held at No. 2 ranking at 141 pounds for the majority of the season.

Ball wrapped his stories FHSU career as the program's leader win percentage all time, posting a staggering 130-22 overall record (.855). He was very successful in the classroom as well, earning the MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award and NWCA All-Academic Award four times, while gracing the MIAA Academic Honor Roll five times.