FHSU University Relations
Fort Hays State junior Brandon Ball was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-America Team for At-Large Sports as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Thursday. Earning Second Team honors, Ball is one of just 45 student-athletes nationally in NCAA Division II recognized on the At-Large 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 carries a 3.80 cumulative GPA (3.77 at the time of the nomination as noted below). CoSIDA Academic All-District and All-America programs are voted on based off both a student-athlete’s athletic and academic accomplishments.
Recently, Ball was a men’s finalist for the MIAA Ken B. Jones Award. The annual award recognizes the conference’s male and female student-athletes of the year, combining athletic and academic accomplishments along with campus/community service.
Ball is one of the top wrestlers in NCAA Division II. He held the No. 1 ranking at 141 pounds from February 4 all the way through to the NCAA Championships at the end of the 2018-19 season. He entered the NCAA Championships undefeated at 24-0 and won his first three matches before dropping an overtime decision in the semifinals. He went on to earn All-America honors with a fourth-place finish, completing the year at 28-2 overall. In the process, Ball ran his career record at FHSU to 114-21. Ball is a two-time All-America performer for FHSU and a three-time national qualifier. He finished sixth in the nation at 141 pounds in 2017.
Though this award is for Ball’s accomplishments as a member of the wrestling team, he also competes as a pole vaulter for the FHSU Track and Field team. His top mark this season was 14-feet, 11.5 inches.
This is Ball’s first Academic All-America honor from CoSIDA. He is also a three-time member of the NWCA Division II All-Academic Team. Ball is the 49th CoSIDA Academic All-America selection in FHSU history and joins Connor Shedeed of football as Fort Hays State’s two Academic All-America selections by CoSIDA in 2018-19. He is the first Tiger wrestler to receive the honor since Jon Inman in 2016.