Nine Northern Illinois University student-athletes from the gymnastics, wrestling and men’s and women’s golf programs were named to College Sports Communicators’ Academic All-District At-Large Teams on Tuesday.

Blake West (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee) earned his third consecutive Academic All-District selection while Kiera O’Shea (Norridge, Ill./Ridgewood) and Caroline Kent (Frisco, Texas/iUniversity Prep) earned a second straight selection.

West captured the 2025 Mid-American Conference (MAC) wrestling championship at 125 pounds, becoming NIU’s first 125-pound champion since 2007. He qualified for the NCAA Championships for the second straight year and finished the season with a record of 24-7. West graduated this spring with a 3.864 grade point average in Chemistry-Professional and Biological Sciences.

O’Shea qualified for NCAA Regionals for the second straight season on vault, leading the MAC with a National Qualifying Score of 1.845. She averaged a 9.812 on vault and was an All-MAC First Team selection. O’Shea holds a 4.00 GPA in Nursing.

Kent had a scoring average of 77.4 this season and had her best round of the year with a 70 at the GCU Invite in February. She tied for tenth at the BGSU Women’s Intercollegiate for her best finish of the season. Kent graduated with a 3.96 GPA in Business Administration. Emma Thorman (Macomb, Ill./Illinois Wesleyan) played in 12 tournaments this season, posting a scoring average of 77.0. Thorman had a season-best 18-hole score of 69 in the final round of the Illini Women’s Invitational at Medinah. She held a 4.0 GPA as she pursues her Master’s degree in Sport Management.

Senior Felix Krammer (Waakirchen, Germany/Arkansas State) and sophomore Craig Long (Alpharetta, Ga./Milton) of the men’s golf team earned their first Academic All-District honors. Krammer was named to the All-MAC First Team after leading NIU with a scoring average of 72.171, the third-best single season scoring average in program history. On Sept. 29 Krammer tied the NIU single round scoring record with a 64 in the opening round of the Badger Invitational. He tied for second at the tournament, leading NIU to the team title and to a MAC Golfer of the Week honor. Krammer graduated with a 3.783 GPA in Business Administration. Long holds a 3.618 GPA in Finance and was NIU’s top finisher at the MAC Championship, tying for fourth place.

Tommy Bennett (Carol Stream, Ill./DeKalb) finished fifth at the 2025 MAC Wrestling Championships at 165 pounds. He holds a 3.739 GPA in Nursing. Graduate wrestler Jacob Christensen (Durham, Calif./Durham) had a 3.571 GPA in Athletic Training and finished fifth at SIUE’s Cougar Clash. Sophomore Collin Arch (Palmyra, Mo./Palmyra) had a 3-2 record in MAC duals this season and holds a 3.789 GPA in Health Sciences. 

The 2025 Academic All-District® Men’s and Women’s At-Large teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in competition and in the classroom. A student-athlete must maintain a 3.50 cumulative grade point average and meet the athletic criteria based on their sport.