2021-22 CoSIDA Academic All-District Teams
A three-year starter and four-year stalwart for the Hillsdale College women's basketball team, Grace Touchette is a force to be reckoned with on the court.
Off the court, however, the senior guard is just as accomplished. Her excellence in both areas has made her a perfect recipient for a special honor awarded by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America.
On Thursday, Touchette became the first Charger women's basketball player to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors since Megan Fogt was a back-to-back Academic All-American in 2014 and 2015.
The Northfield, Minnesota native was one of just five players selected to represent District 4 at the NCAA Division II level, joining Hannah Belanger of Truman State, Alex LaPorta of Missouri-St. Louis, Annie Roshak of Ashland and Emily Spitzley of Grand Valley State.
The 2021-22 Academic All-District® Women's Basketball Teams, selected by CoSIDA, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The CoSIDA Academic All-America® program separately recognizes basketball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. District 4 roughly corresponds with the NCAA DII Midwest Region and includes teams from the GLVC, GLIAC and G-MAC.
Touchette has had a standout 2021-22 season so far, helping Hillsdale to one of the biggest turnarounds in the country, going from 4-17 last year to 11-12 this season, with five games left to play. The senior is averaging a team-best 17 points per game, tied for third in the G-MAC, and is also top 10 in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (seventh, 32.9%), 3-point field goals per game (seventh, 2.1), free-throw percentage (sixth, 80.5%), assists per game (ninth, 3.1) and assist-to-turnover ratio (tied for fourth, 1.7).
She's also been consistent, scoring in double-figures in 22 of Hillsdale's 23 games and serving as the team's leading scorer in 15 of them. It's the next chapter in a lengthy and successful career at Hillsdale for the guard, who was a key subsitute as a freshman in 2018-19 before becoming the team's starting point guard for the next two seasons.
This year, she's moved off the ball to shooting guard, a move that's unlocked her offensive potential and taken her play to another level, helping the Chargers make a surprise push for a G-MAC Tourney berth.
For her career, Touchette is already leaving a mark on the program's history. Her 1,184 career points are 13th all-time at Hillsdale, with an outside chance of moving into the top 10 before year's end. She's also sixth all-time in career 3-pointers made with 168, and on track to break into the top 10 all time in assists and field goals made before her career at Hillsdale is through.
Touchette also has been a standout in the classroom during her time at Hillsdale. An economics major, Touchette carries a 3.79 GPA, has made the Dean's List every semester of college, and has earned Academic All-G-MAC honors all four years of her career. She's also served as a team captain for two years, and done work as a member of the Hillsdale Student-Athlete Advisory Council at different points in her collegiate career.
As an All-District honoree, Touchette is one of 42 NCAA DII women's basketball players who are under consideration for CoSIDA Academic All-American honors. 15 All-Americans will be chosen from the 42 All-District winners and the selections will be announced on March 16.
Photo by Anthony Lupi