Jim Laskarzewski '86 Photos

COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College Alpine skiing May graduate Simen Strand (Nedre Høvik, Norway/Dønski VGS) and men's lacrosse rising senior Sebastian Simonson (Spruce Grove, Alberta/Spruce Grove Composite) both earned prestigious College Sports Communicators (CSC) NCAA Division II Academic All-America At-Large honors last week. Strand landed his school-record third career CSC Academic All-America accolade, and Simonson was a repeat winner.
 
The duo was among 49 student-athletes honored, with Strand placing on the first team and Simonson claiming a spot on the second team. Strand now holds the distinction of earning not only the most All-America accolades (5) by any student-athlete in the history of Saint Michael's Athletics but also the most CSC Academic All-America awards (3). He is the College's first two-time first team selection, having earned a spot on that squad in 2023 after sliding onto the third team in 2022. Simonson was a third team pick in 2023. Saint Michael's joined Missouri University of Science and Technology as the only NCAA Division II schools with a pair of repeat selections from the 2022-23 school year. This marks the sixth time Saint Michael's nabbed two Academic All-America laurels in the same school year, and the fourth since 2017-18.
 
National membership of the College Sports Communicators, formerly known as the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), votes for Academic All-America selections. Student-athletes who are major contributors and tote at least a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average by their sophomore seasons are eligible.
 
Simonson capped a 2023-24 school year that saw him earn United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) All-America honorable mention, USA Lacrosse All-America honorable mention, USILA All-North Region third team, New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) All-New England, and Northeast-10 Conference All-Conference first team selections. He also landed an NE10 Academic All-Conference citation. Simonson notched 59 points, 37 goals and 22 assists this spring, totaling the most goals by a Purple Knight since 2012 and the most points since 2013. Simonson heads into his senior year fifth in program history in both career points (145) and goals (98). The biochemistry major has a 3.91 GPA.
 
Strand qualified for the NCAA Championship for the third time this season, claiming his fourth and fifth career All-America finishes by taking sixth in the giant slalom and 10th in the slalom at the national championship in Colorado. The two-year captain posted his third career Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) All-East honor, placing on the first team for the second time while collecting six top-three performances, including winning Feb. 18's slalom race at the Dartmouth College Skiway. Strand earned United States Collegiate Ski Coaches Association (USCSCA) National Collegiate All-Academic Ski Team recognition every year. He graduated with a 3.96 GPA as a business administration major.
 
CSC sponsors Academic All-America programs for baseball, basketball, cross country/track & field, football, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis and women's volleyball, while 14 more are grouped into the At-Large category, including field hockey, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse and skiing, all of which are offered at Saint Michael's College. Through the Academic All-America program, CSC names separate Academic All-District and Academic All-America teams at each the NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III levels, while the College Division team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools.