2022-23 CSC Academic All-District Men's Basketball Teams
2022-23 CSC Academic All-District Women's Basketball Teams
It's been a successful season so far for both the Hillsdale College men's and women's basketball teams, and not just on the court.
The Chargers men and women have built impressive resumes in the classroom as well, as evidenced by the College Sports Communicators' announcement of its annual Academic All-District teams on Tuesday afternoon.
Both Hillsdale's men and Hillsdale's women were represented by the maximum four honorees. For all eight of them, the award is a sign of impressive achievements in every aspect of collegiate life.
In order to be considered for CSC Academic All-District honors, an athlete must be either a starter or a meaningful contributor, and carry a 3.5 or better cumulative GPA. All Academic All-District honorees are entered into consideration to receive prestigious Academic All-American honors from CSC later in mid-March, as voted on and selected by institution SIDs at the NCAA DII level.
On the men's side, Hillsdale seniors Kyle Goessler, Peter Kalthoff and Cole Nau earned Academic All-District honors, as well as redshirt sophomore Charles Woodhams.
Both Goessler and Nau are multi-year starters who played major roles on Hillsdale's 2022 Midwest Regional Championship run and Elite Eight appearance. Goessler, an Accounting major on track to graduate with honors this spring, is averaging 11.6 points per game for the 22-4 Chargers in 2022-23 and has made 57 consecutive starts for Hillsdale, which can lock up a share of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference title this Saturday if the Chargers can win at Findlay. A deadeye shooter, Goessler is currently sixth all-time in career free throw percentage at Hillsdale, having made 84.3% of his attempts at the line.
Nau, also an Accounting major on track to graduate with honors this spring, also has made 57 consecutive starts for the Chargers, contributing a career high in points per game this season while also leading Hillsdale in assists and steals.
Kalthoff, also a senior, is an impressive story, as he's taken on a key role for the Chargers in his final season after missing most of his junior year with an injury. An English major on track to graduate with honors in the spring, and also an accomplished violinist who won the Hillsdale music department's concerto and aria competitions in 2022, Kalthoff is currently second on the team in points per game with 13.5 while leading the Chargers in rebounds and blocks, while also earning three G-MAC Player of the Week honors.
The lone non-senior for the Chargers, Woodhams has been Hillsdale's most impactful reserve player, leading all non-starters in minutes and averaging 6.3 points per game for Hillsdale while contributing at both ends of the floor. A biology major, Woodhams also boasts the team's highest GPA among non-freshmen.
On the women's side, senior guard Grace Touchette returns as a repeat honoree after receiving CSC Academic All-District honors for the 2021-22 season. An economics major who's planning on graduating with honors in the spring, Touchette is the team leader in points per game and assists, while occupying a special place in Chargers women's basketball history. Touchette ranks fifth all-time at Hillsdale among women's basketball players in career points (1,616), fifth in assists (368), fifth in field goals made (573) and third in 3-pointers made (220), and received first-team All-G-MAC honors last season.
She's joined on the team by fellow seniors Sydney Mills and Arianna Sysum, as well as sophomore Caitlin Splain.
Mills, who has played four seasons but is planning on returning for a fifth year next fall thanks to the additional year of eligibility from the Covid-19 pandemic, also has had a storied career at Hillsdale. An Exercise Science and Physical Education major, Mills is a two-time second team All-G-MAC honoree who's averaged a double-double for each of the past three seasons, including 2022-23. She has two of the 10 highest single-season rebound totals in program history, and her 963 career rebounds rank third all-time in Chargers women's basketball history, while she's also in the top 10 in both blocked shots (eighth, 63) and 3-pointers made (10th, 149).
Sysum, a biochemistry major who's on track to graduate in the spring with honors, has been a three-year starter for the Chargers and the team's best on-ball defender since her sophomore season. A reliable inside finisher, Sysum set the Hillsdale women's program record for single-season shooting percentage with 64.6% as a junior in 2021-22, and is currently averaging 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game as a full-time starter for the 16-13 Chargers this season.
Splain, meanwhile, is the lone non-starter to receive the honor but a key presence off the bench for the Chargers in her second season, averaging 24.5 minutes and sitting in third on the team in scoring with 9.7 points per game. A lethal long-range sharpshooter, Splain's 68 made 3-pointers this season are tied for fifth-most in Hillsdale College women's basketball history, and she's on pace to challenge the program record of 237 career made 3-pointers held by Chelsea Harrison.
As All-District honorees, all eight players who are under consideration for CoSIDA Academic All-American honors. 15 All-Americans will be chosen from the All-District winners and the selections will be announced on March 14th for the men and March 15 for the women.