CoSIDA Release

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - Saint John's University junior golfer Preston Kopel (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Foley) was named to the 2020 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic At-Large District VI team on Thursday, May 21.

Kopel and the other Academic All-District honorees are now eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-America distinction, which will be announced June 17. Nine of the 11 student-athletes named to the 2020 CoSIDA Academic At-Large District VI team are from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC).

In order to be eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-District distinction, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore, maintain a minimum 3.30 cumulative GPA and a starter or key reserve on his team. The men's at-large category includes student-athletes that participate in fencing, golf, hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming & diving, tennis, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.

An economics major with a 3.98 GPA, Kopel earned the 2019 NCAA Elite 90 Award, which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the NCAA Championship. He also received the 2019 MIAC Elite 22 Award, which is given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA among the top-10 finishers at the MIAC Championship, last fall.

Kopel led the Johnnies by tying for third at the 2019 MIAC Championship and ended the fall schedule with a 75.1 scoring average, including a team-leading four rounds at par or better. 

He is expected to earn his first Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) All-America Scholar award next month and begins his senior season with a 75.9 average in 59 career rounds.