FightingFalcons.com and HilltoppeSports.com contributed to this story.
AUSTIN, TEXAS -- The Men's and Women's Basketball Academic All-Americans of the Year for 2021 both come from the Mountain East Conference has Fairmont State's Sierra Kotchman earned the honor for the women, and West Liberty's Dalton Bolon earned the recongition on the men's side.
Interviews: Sierra Kotchman | Dalton Bolon
Additionally, Concord's Riley Fitzwater was named to the Academic All-America second team.
The Division II Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2020-21 Division II Academic All-America® teams program.
Kotchman was selected as the recipient of the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year for NCAA Division II women's basketball, while Bolon was tabbed the recipient of the Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year for NCAA Division II men's basketball.
Kotchman is the all-time leading scorer in Mountain East Conference history and currently ranks third in the Fairmont State record books with 2,032 career points scored. During the 2020-21 season, Kotchman averaged 23.5 points per game, which ranked No. 3 in the country in scoring. She also ranked No. 4 in the nation in three-point field goals per game (3.35) and finished the season shooting 38.5 percent from beyond the arc (57-of-148).
The NCAA Division II active career scoring leader is a three-time All-MEC first-team honoree. Kotchman also finished the 2020-21 season averaging 3.8 rebounds per game, 2.1 assists per contest and 1.4 steals per outing. She had 11 20-point performances this season and scored 30 or more points in a pair of games. The native of Washington, Pa., is making her second appearance on the Division II Academic All-America® team after earning third-time honors on the 2019-20 team. She graduated this spring with her degree in business administration with a 3.97 GPA.
Bolon has reached All-America status each of the last three seasons at West Liberty, including the D2CCA All-America and the NABC Division II All-America teams this season after guiding the Hilltoppers to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Division II Tournament.
The two-time Mountain East Conference Player of the Year is the NCAA Division II active career scoring leader with 2,247 career points and 349 career three-point field goals. During the 2020-21 season, he ranked No. 10 in total points scored (490) and No. 24 in points per game (21.3). Bolon has reached double figures in 102 of his 116 career games. The native of Gnadenhutten, Ohio, is making his third appearance on the Division II Academic All-America® team (second team in 2018-19 and first team in 2019-20). Bolon has already completed his undergraduate degree in biology with a 3.85 GPA and is currently working on a master's degree as a Physician's Assistant.
Ten of the 15 members of the 2020-21 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II Women's Basketball teams have at least a 3.90 G.P.A., with four student-athletes maintaining a perfect 4.00 GPA. The five members of the first team have an average GPA of 3.98.
The 2020-21 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II Women's Basketball teams have three repeat performers – Kotchman,
Denali Pinto (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) and
Irisa Ye (University of the Sciences) – from last year's CoSIDA Academic All-America® teams.
Thirteen of the 15 members of the 2020-21 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II Men's Basketball teams have at least a 3.80 GPA, with two student-athletes maintaining a perfect 4.00 GPA. The five members of the first team have an average GPA of 3.89.
The CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II Men's Basketball teams have four repeat performers –
Dalton Bolon (West Liberty University),
Elijah Jenkins (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University),
John Paul Kromka (University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown) and
Tyler Riemersma (Augustana University) – from last year's CoSIDA Academic All-America® teams.