3 Bulldogs named Academic All-Americans
PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast had three student-athletes named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-American Team in the Men's College Division, the organization announced Wednesday.
Alexander Mink from the men's soccer team and James Vines from the baseball team earned spots on the First Team, with Nick Dulaney from the men's tennis team grabbing a spot on the Second Team.
The CSC Academic All-American program was established in 1952. It is the longest-running and premier award for athletic and academic success across college sports. Former winners include Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Candace Parker and Katie Ledecky.
There have been 16 Bulldogs named to men's Academic All-American teams since 2019. There were 20 names to the College Division At-Large team this year. The College Division includes all community colleges, Canadian colleges and American four-year schools not associated with the NCAA or NAIA. The criteria for selection include athletic accomplishments.
Including women's soccer player Laurel Conley, whose selection was announced Tuesday, Gulf Coast has had 24 student-athletes earn Academic All-American honors.
ALEXANDER MINK, FIRST TEAM
The sophomore from Long Beach finished with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in athletic training. He was a two-time NJCAA All-American, leading the Bulldogs with 16 goals, fourth-most in the MACCC.
"It means a lot to me being able to use my gifts that God gave me to the best of my abilities," Mink said. "I know that it wasn't just me, that it's been countless years of teammates and coaches and family and friends that have also helped to put me in this position."
Only the third Gulf Coast player to earn NJCAA All-American honors twice, he helped lead the Bulldogs to the NJCAA Championship as a freshman. He was primarily a defender that year, helping a stingy defense that had a 1.14 goals-against average. He moved into midfield last season.
He will continue his collegiate playing career at NCAA Division I University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Mink praised the academic atmosphere at Perk for helping him continue to grow in the classroom.
"Growing up, my parents always held us to a high standard of school first and then athletics," he said. "Having that mindset really was able to let me excel in both here. I like the fact that we have smaller classes, which makes it more personal with teachers. I was able to have a really good connection with my teachers."
JAMES VINES, FIRST TEAM
The sophomore from Clinton, Louisiana, graduated from Gulf Coast with a 3.86 GPA in chemical engineering. Vines posted a 14-5 record at Perk, including a 7-3 mark this year.
"It's very exciting (to win this award)," he said. "You work very hard when you go down this hard road with athletics and academics. You're not choosing the easy way out, and to succeed in both, I'm really proud of myself and happy that I'm where I'm at."
Vines had the seventh-most wins in the MACCC, and his three complete games ranked fourth, as did his 11.37 strikeouts per nine innings. He earned All-MACCC Honorable Mention. As a freshman, he was named to the All-NJCAA Region 23 First Team.
Vines will continue his playing career at NCAA Division I Western Kentucky. Taking care of his business in the classroom and on the diamond was challenging, but his GPA and statistics show the hard work.
"It was very, very tough. It was a roller coaster," he said. "Going from classroom all morning, then going out to practice in the afternoon, but I was able to do it through my professors and my coaches just supporting me. They helped balance each other out."
NICK DULANEY, SECOND TEAM
The sophomore from Long Beach was another 4.0 graduate while studying pre-med. A co-captain on the tennis team, he helped lead the Bulldogs to the NJCAA Region 23 championship and a third-place finish at the NJCAA Championship, the school's best ever.
"Being in college means performing well both on the field and in the classroom," Dulaney said. "Being able to balance both so well and having a great performance this year, being able to win the conference and also do well in the classroom and get selected for this award just means a lot to me. It's really important."
He went 12-4 in singles, including an 8-1 mark in MACCC regular-season play. At the NJCAA Division II Men's Tennis Championship, he advanced to the No. 5 singles semifinals. As a freshman, Dulaney made it to the Division I No. 6 singles quarterfinals.
Dulaney will attend Ole Miss and continue pursuing a career in medicine. He saluted his coaches, instructors and administrators at Gulf Coast for helping him reach his goals on the court and in the classroom.
"It's never easy, but it's always great to have a team with great support," he said. "The coach understood when I needed to sometimes miss certain things and have to move things around. The counselors, the teachers, the professors and the whole academic staff is great, and everybody helped to accommodate my needs."
For more information on MGCCC's 12 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.
