Northwest Notes: June 10, 2021

Kispert named to All-Academic

for third straight season

Gonzaga men's basketball's Corey Kispert was selected to the West Coast Conference's All-Academic Team Wednesday.

Kispert receives the honor for the third straight season. He recently was named the 2020-21 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America Team Member of the Year for Division I Men's Basketball, headlining the Academic All-America Division I men's basketball team.

A native of Edmonds, Wash., Kispert is pursuing a graduate degree in business administration. He carries a 3.79 GPA in his graduate course work after earning a 3.49 as an undergrad.

Program-record seven named

All-Academic for Gonzaga women's basketball

After a season for Gonzaga women’s basketball that saw its second-highest average team GPA in program history in the spring, a program-record seven players were named West Coast Conference All-Academic, the league office announced Wednesday. Seniors Jenn Wirth and Jill Townsend were selected WCC All-Academic First Team, while Louise Forsyth, Anamaria Virjoghe, Cierra Walker, Kaylynne Truong and LeeAnne Wirth were selected Honorable Mention.

Jenn Wirth, LeeAnne Wirth, Townsend, Virjoghe and Forsyth are all repeat winners after being named WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention in 2020, joined by Cierra Walker and Kaylynne Truong as first-time honorees to break the previous record of six nominated athletes set last year.

Jenn Wirth and Townsend are both making their third appearances on the list (first appearance on the First Team), with LeeAnne Wirth, Virjoghe and Forsyth all earning the nod for the second time. Jenn Wirth and Walker were also both named Division-I AAA ADA Scholar Athletes for their accomplishments this year as well.

The WCC’s Co-Player of the Year in 2021, Jenn Wirth finished the year averaging 12.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while earning a 3.46 GPA as she wrapped up a degree in psychology. Townsend, the WCC’s Player of the Year in 2020 and a First-Team selection this year, led the Zags in scoring this season at 13.5 points per game, shooting 49.6 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from long range, all while earning a 3.39 GPA in Biology and cracking 1,172 career points, 547 career rebounds and 165 career assists in her final year in a Zag uniform. Both were named Honorable Mention AP All-American.

Fellow All-WCC forward LeeAnne Wirth was also an academic selection for the second year in a row after earning a 3.43 GPA in her final semester of her public relations degree, averaging 9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while appearing in 26 games.

Forsyth landed on the WCC All-Academic list for the second straight year behind a 3.42 GPA as she completed her biology degree. An academic selection for the second year in a row since transferring to GU, Virjoghe carried a 3.40 in sport management.

Walker finished the year with a 4.0 at the graduate level in GU’s organizational leadership program, all while shooting 41.1 percent from beyond the arc and averaging 6.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Fellow first-time honoree sophomore Kaylynne Truong earned a 3.66 GPA in kinesiology to make the list in a year where she saw her role grow considerably, averaging 4.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

At the conclusion of each athletic season, the WCC selects an all-academic squad for each WCC-sponsored sport. To be considered, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average, while also being a significant contributor to her team.

Gonzaga signee Holmgren

earns national award

Chet Holmgren, a Gonzaga signee from Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis, Minn. is the 2020-21 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Holmgren won the prestigious award for his accomplishments on and off the court, joining an impressive group of former Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year winners who have combined for five NBA MVPs awards, 76 All-Star appearances, 13 NBA championships, 27 NBA first round draft picks and two became Hall of Famers.

Jalen Suggs virtually surprised Holmgren with the news, while his family, coaches and teammates showed up with the trophy at school.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Holmgren as the nation's best high school boys basketball player. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Holmgren from nearly half a million high school basketball players nationwide.

"Chet Holmgren was the greatest mismatch in the high school game this past season because of his outside shooting, inside game and physical measurables," says ESPN National Recruiting Director Paul Biancardi. "At 7-foot-1 and owning an enormous wingspan, he's a world-class shot blocker. He displays uncommon versatility with his scoring ability, ball-handling, court mobility and footwork. He's a tremendous teammate and a young man who is humble and respectful, while still playing with an edge. His time at Gonzaga should put him in contention to be the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft."

The 7-foot, 175-pound senior center led the Redhawks to a 20-1 record and the Class AAA state championship this past season. Holmgren averaged 20.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 4.7 blocks and 4.4 assists while connecting on 68.2 percent of his field-goal attempts. A McDonald's All-American Game selection, Holmgren is the 2021 Naismith High School Trophy Player of the Year and the nation's consensus No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2021, including in the ESPN 100. He concluded his prep basketball career with 1,567 points, 964 rebounds and 456 blocked shots.