College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Women's Basketball Team

            The Wayne State College women's basketball team had four players named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Women's Basketball Team released Tuesday morning.  Seniors Logan Hughes, Kassidy Pingel and Lauren Zacharias and sophomore Abby Kopecky each received the honor. 
            The team recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom and athletes have to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.50 or better to qualify for the honor.
            Hughes, a 5-10 guard/forward from Shenandoah, Iowa, maintains a 3.92 grade point average majoring in health and physical education with a coaching endorsement.  She is averaging 8.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game this season and has seven games of 10 or more points, highlighted by a season-high 22 points in a 62-53 win at Concordia-St. Paul December 9^th.  Hughes has also earned the NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic With Distinction Award for graduating seniors with a 3.75 grade point average or higher.
            Kopecky, a 5-10 sophomore guard from Aberdeen, South Dakota (Aberdeen Central HS), carries a 3.97 grade point average majoring in biology.  On the court this season, she is averaging 4.0 points and 3.4 rebounds a contest and is labeled as one of Wayne State's top defenders.  Kopecky grabbed a career-best 10 rebounds in a 71-55 victory over Bemidji State January 20^th.
            Pingel, a 6-0 senior forward from Cherokee, Iowa (Cherokee Washington HS), records a 4.00 grade point average majoring in biology and pre-physician assistant and is also a recipient of the NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic With Distinction Award.  She ranks second on the team in scoring at 10.5 points a game to go with 3.2 rebounds a contest.  Pingel has scored double figures in 13 games this season including two games over 20 points. 
            Zacharias is a 5-6 senior guard from North Liberty, Iowa (Iowa City West HS), and has a 3.80 grade point average majoring in sport and recreation management.  She leads Wayne State in scoring (15.5) and rebounding (4.4) this season, ranking ninth in the NSIC in scoring, and is tied for fourth in the league in steals (2.3) and 3-point field goals per game (2.2), eighth in free throw percentage (.809) and 12^th in assists per game (3.0).  Zacharias has 21 games of double digit scoring with two double-doubles and two games over 30 points this season highlighted by a 37-point contest vs. Fort Lewis (Colo.) on November 25^th. 
            Wayne State is 11-15 overall and fifth place in the NSIC with a 7-15 league record.  The Wildcats are scheduled to play at the University of Mary Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. in the opening round of the NSIC Tournament in Bismarck, North Dakota.