Marcia Harris, Special to the Herald
BYU junior safety Tanner Wall runs the ball up the field after intercepting a pass during the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.
BYU safety Tanner Wall was today named to the 2024 Academic All-America® First Team by College Sports Communicators.
The CSC Academic All-America award recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. To be eligible for nomination, the student-athlete must be a starter or significant contributor in addition to their academic achievements.
A redshirt junior from Arlington, Virginia, Wall is majoring in finance and currently has a cumulative GPA of 3.89. One of eight Cougars to receive recognition on the 2024 CSC Academic All-District teams earlier this month, Wall earned a place on the Academic All-America ballot before being selected as one of 25 first-team FBS honorees, who collectively boast an average GPA of 3.82.
A 2024 Co-Captain, Wall started all 13 games at free safety and finished the year as BYU’s co-leader in interceptions with three and was fourth in total tackles with 53, including 31 unassisted. For his on-field efforts, he was named All-Big 12 Third Team by College Football Network. Wall has achieved recognition on both the Fall Academic All-Big 12 Team and Commissioner’s Honor Role in each of BYU’s two seasons in the Big 12. He was also named to the Academic All-Big 12 Football First Team in 2023 with the 2024 team yet to be announced.
Wall was one of five BIg 12 athletes to earn first-team Academic All-America recogntion this season, including defensive back/wide receiver Travis Hunter from the University of Colorado, who was named the Academic All-America Team Member of the Year. Joining Wall and Hunter on the first team representing the Big 12 were defensive back Beau Freyler from Iowa State, running back Tahj Brooks from Texas Tech and offensive lineman Easton Kilty from Kansas State. In addition, K-State defensive lineman Brendan Mott, Cincinnati offensive lineman Luke Kandra and Kansas tight end Jared Casey earned second-team honors.
Established in 1952, the distinguished Academic All-America® program is the longest running and premier award for athletic and academic success across championship college sports at all NCAA levels, the NAIA, two-year colleges and Canadian institutions.
Wall becomes the 28th BYU football player to earn CSC Academic All-America® status and the 16th to earn first-team honors. Overall, BYU players have combined to earn 33 different Academic All-America awards, including 17 first-team citations, since Virgil Carter became the program’s first Academic All-American in 1965.
BYU gymnast earns Big 12 honor for second straight week
BYU’s beam queen Brynlee Andersen was named Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week for the second week in a row, the league announced Tuesday afternoon.
The Cougars faced rival Utah in their Big 12 home opener Friday evening at the Marriott Center. BYU scored a 195.325 and tallied its highest floor score of the season with a 49.025.
Andersen competed on both beam and floor, earning a new career high with her floor routine, scoring a 9.825. She tallied a 9.9 on the balance beam, the second-highest score of the competition. She has now scored a 9.9 or above for three consecutive meets on the apparatus.
Cougars lead Big 12 with 83 Commissioner’s Honor Roll awards for fall 2024
The Big 12 Conference announced Monday that 5,201 student-athletes from all 16 member institutions with GPAs of 3.0 or higher, were named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll for Fall 2024 across all sports. Over 69% of all Big 12 student-athletes made the honor roll while 985 student-athletes honorees attained a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Additionally, the Conference has released the 2024 Fall Academic All-Big 12 Team which features 882 student-athletes.
“We continue to see an increase in student-athlete academic performance across the conference, which continues to show our student-athletes and athletics’ departments commitment to the pursuit of academic excellence,” said Jenn Hunter, Big 12 Chief Impact Officer.
BYU combined for a conference-best 83 selections across the five sports. BYU men’s cross country (22) and women’s volleyball (11) also led their resective sports outright.
BYU Selections on the 2024 Fall Academic All-Big 12 Team:
Lucas Bons, Sr., men’s cross country, Mechanical Engineering
Mark Boyle, Jr., men’s cross country, Accounting
Casey Clinger, Sr., men’s cross country, Business Administration
Carter Cutting, So., men’s cross country, Pre Business
Max Davis, Jr., men’s cross country, Biology
Sebastian Fernandez, Jr., men’s cross country, Chenical Engineering
Hayden Gray, Jr., men’s cross country, Exercise Science
Luke Grundvig, Jr., men’s cross country, Computer Science
Isaac Hedengren, So., men’s cross country, Psychology
Landon Heemeyer, So., men’s cross country, Mechanical Engineering
Noah Jenkins, So., men’s cross country, Open Major
Caleb Johnson, So., men’s cross country, Economics
Kyle Lund, So., men’s cross country, Statistics
Tyler Matthews, So., men’s cross country, Mechanical Engineering
Joey Nokes, Sr., men’s cross country, Exercise Science
Jake Orr, So., men’s cross country, Pre Business
Gabe Parham, Fr., men’s cross country, Pre Business
Garrett Stanford, Jr., men’s cross country, Strategic Management
Jacob Stanford, Jr., men’s cross country, Information Systems
Creed Thompson, Jr., men’s cross country, Computer Science
Davin Thompson, Jr., men’s cross country, Computer Science
Aidan Troutner, Sr., men’s cross country, Masters Accounting
Andie Aagard, So., women’s cross country, Open Major
Riley Chamberlain, Jr., women’s cross country, Family Life
Anastaysia Davis, Sr., women’s cross country, Elementary Education
Elizabeth Dildine, Sr., women’s cross country, Communications
Lexi Goff, So., women’s cross country, Neuroscience
Jacey Farmer, Jr., women’s cross country, Dietetics
Meghan Hunter, Sr., women’s cross country, Communication Disorders
Jenna Hutchins, So., women’s cross country, Communication Disorders
Grace Hutchison, So., women’s cross country, Public Health
Taylor Lovell, Jr., women’s cross country, Exercise & Wellness
Kylie Olsen, So., women’s cross country, Open Major
Raygan Peterson, So., women’s cross country, Communications
Carmen Riano Ansray, Sr., women’s cross country, Masters Exercise Science
Taylor Rohatinsky, Jr., women’s cross country, Exercise Science
Talen Alfrey, Jr., football, Exercise Science
Tyler Batty, Sr., football, Graduate Studies
Kaden Chidester, So., football, Pre-Business
Raider Damuni, So., football, Pre-Business
Kevin Doe, So., football, Pre-Business
Koa Eldridge, So., football, Global Supply Chain
Will Ferrin, Jr., football, Business Management
Cody Hagen, So., football, Pre-Business
Pokai Haunga, So., football, Open Major
Ace Kaufusi, So., football, Pre-Business
Orion Kaufusi, So., football, Pre-Business
Logan Lutui, Sr., football, Exercise Science
Blake Mangelson, Sr., football, Family Studies
Bruce Mitchell, So., football, Business Management
Enoch Nawahine , Jr., football, Human Resource Management
Connor Pay, Sr., football, Entrepreneurial Management
Landon Rehkow, So., football, Pre-Business
Dalton Riggs, So., football, Business Management
Ropati Hinckley, Sr., football, Graduate Studies
Josh Singh, Sr., football, Geography
Cannon Skidmore, So., football, Pre-Business
Petey Tuipulotu, So., football, Finance
Sam Van Der Haar, So., football, Communications
Tanner Wall, Sr., football, MBA
Lytiana Akinaka, Sr., women’s soccer, MBA
Erin Bailey, Jr., women’s soccer, Communications
Halle Dixon, Fr., women’s soccer, Communications
Avery Frischknecht, So., women’s soccer, Exercise & Wellness
Addison Gardner, So., women’s soccer, Communications
Kelsey Hoopes, So., women’s soccer, Physical Education
Mika Krommenhoek, So., women’s soccer, Graphic Design
Emma Neff, So., women’s soccer, English
Tylie Pratt, So., women’s soccer, Open-Major
Matlyn Summers, So., women’s soccer, Pre-Business
MacKenzee Vance, Jr., women’s soccer, Graduate Studies
Tara Warner, Sr., women’s soccer, Physical Education
Hannah Billeter, Jr., women’s volleyball, Exercise Science
Kaieva Johnson, So., women’s volleyball, Communications
Brielle Kemavor, So., women’s volleyball, Open Major
Mia Lee, So., women’s volleyball, Family Life
Claire Little, So., women’s volleyball, Communications
Brielle Miller, So., women’s volleyball, Environmental Science
Alyssa Montoya, Sr., women’s volleyball, Exeercie & Wellness
Kate Prior, Jr., women’s volleyball, Exeercie & Wellness
Macy Short, Jr., women’s volleyball, Economics
Elyse Stowell, Sr., women’s volleyball, Psychology
Kalia Thurnstrom, Sr., women’s volleyball, Entrepreneurial Management
