LOS ANGELES — For the third straight year, Cal State LA’s Morgan Sjoerdsma has received a big academic achievement, and this one is the biggest of them all.
Sjoerdsma became Cal State LA’s first three-time Academic All-American on Tuesday when she was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Women’s At-Large first team. Her first-team recognition is only the third in Cal State LA history and the first since 2018. She joins Ingvar Moseley of men’s track and field (2018) and volleyball’s Casey Jungwirth (2000).
She made a steady progression, too, after earning third-team honors in 2022 and second-team honors in 2023. Sjoerdsma was one of 16 student-athletes named to the first team on Tuesday. The At-Large classification includes the sports of golf, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, water polo, bowling, fencing, rifle, crew/rowing, skiing, gymnastics, and beach volleyball.
Sjoerdsma earned CSC All-District honors last month for a third straight year, which put her on the ballot for All-America recognition. She was joined on the 16-member first team by two other California Collegiate Athletic Association student-athletes; golfer Madison Murr of Cal State San Marcos and water polo standout Daniela Passoni of Cal State East Bay. Sjoerdsma and Murr were two of six golfers to earn first-team honors.
The CSC Academic All-America program recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in athletic competition and in the classroom. To be eligible in golf, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.5 grade point average and have competed in 70 percent of the team’s total events. The Division II At-Large teams honored 53 student-athletes. Sjoerdsma, a mathematics major, carried a 3.96 grade point average while completing her bachelor’s degree and she has a 4.0 GPA so far in graduate school at Cal State LA.
She was one of 14 student-athletes who were repeat selections from the 2022-23 Academic All-America Division II At-Large team and one of 12 who earned a GPA of 4.0 as either an undergraduate or graduate student.
“Amazing! Being named a first-team Academic All-American is such an unbelievable achievement,” Cal State LA’s Head Coach Hans Kersting said. “Morgan is so deserving of this award. The work she puts in both on the golf course and in the classroom is second to none. She leads this team by example, and she is a great role model for all student-athletes. I am so proud of her.”
Sjoerdsma also claimed the CCAA’s Elite 13 Award for academic achievement for a third straight year at the conference golf championships in April.
She was also tremendous on the course, leading the Golden Eagles to a historic season that saw them qualify for the NCAA West Regionals as a team for the first time and also claim their first-ever team title at the Sonoma State Spring Invite. Sjoerdsma was the team’s No. 1 golfer for a third straight season with a scoring average of 75.09. She won the third tournament of her career, capturing the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout, and she had three top-five finishes during the season.
Sjoerdsma played in the NCAA West Regionals for a third time after qualifying as an individual in 2022 and 2023.
“It’s so exciting to see Morgan receive this accolade, as she continues to embody the best of Golden Eagle athletics,” said Kyle Behen, director of Cal State LA’s University Academic Advisement Center. “She’s not just an outstanding golfer, but also an outstanding student, graduating summa cum laude in mathematics and now pursuing an M.A. in education, where she continues to excel.”
The Division II Academic All-America program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2023-24 Division II Academic All-America program.
The CSC (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-America award earned by Sjoerdsma is the 18th all-time for Cal State LA and she becomes the first to earn three awards. Christie Lau (women’s tennis) was a two-time honoree, also on the At-Large team.
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California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 26,000 students and has more than 250,000 distinguished alumni.
Cal State LA is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, Billie Jean King Sports Complex and the TV, Film and Media Center. For more information, visit www.CalStateLA.edu.
