Eight ‘Cats Earn CSC At-Large Academic All-District Honors

Eight ‘Cats Earn CSC At-Large Academic All-District Honors

5/23/2023 5:56:00 PM | General, Men's Golf, Women's Golf, Women's Lacrosse, Wrestling, Field Hockey

Northwestern’s eight honorees rank third in Big Ten Conference

EVANSTON, Ill. (May 23, 2023) – Eight Northwestern University student-athletes have been named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) At-Large Academic All-District Teams, the organization announced on Tuesday. The 'Cats eight honorees ranked third amongst Big Ten Conference institutions.

Peyton Halsey (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) and Maddie Zimmer (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) represented the Wildcats' national runner-up women's field hockey team. Halsey racked up a career-best 13 goals in addition to four assists, taking home Second Team All-West Region honors from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA), while Zimmer earned a third consecutive All-American nod, collecting First Team accolades for the second time in as many years.

After helping guide Northwestern's women's lacrosse team to a fourth straight trip to the NCAA Final Four, the pairing of Kendall Halpern (Woodbury, N.Y./Syosset) and Molly Laliberty (Newburyport, Mass./Newburyport), both of whom were named Second Team All-Big Ten selections, earned Academic All-District accolades. Halpern has been a force on the defensive side for the 'Cats, causing 25 turnovers while picking up a team-best 33 ground balls. The anchor of the Northwestern defense in goal, Laliberty has started in all 20 games this season, racking up 148 saves while posting an 8.91 goals against average.

Trevor Chumbley (St. Charles, Ill./Marmion Academy) and Troy Fisher (Garden Plain, Kan./Goddard), both members of the Wildcats' wrestling program, took home distinction. In his first year in the Northwestern lineup, Chumbley posted a record of 27-9, taking home the Midlands title at 157 pounds before placing fourth at the Big Ten Championships. Fisher battled through a midseason injury to finish the year at 20-8 overall at 174 pounds, going 4-1 in Big Ten dual action.

A recipient of the 2023 Byron Nelson Award, David Nyfjäll (Uppsala, Sweden/Celsiusskolan) of the Northwestern men's golf team collected a fourth All-Big Ten nod, becoming the first Wildcat golfer since Luke Donald to accomplish the feat. Nyfjäll shared ninth at the Big Ten Championships, helping the 'Cats to a runner-up finish in the team race and a berth in the Las Vegas Regional of the NCAA Men's Golf Championships.

Kelly Sim (Edgewater, N.J./Academy of Holy Angels) spearheaded the attack the Northwestern women's golf team in 2022-23, closing the year with a team-best 71.9 stroke average that included 20 rounds at par or better. Sim earned a share of sixth place at the Big Ten Championships ahead of a ninth-place effort at the NCAA Palm Beach Gardens Regional that propelled the Wildcats to the program's eighth appearance at the NCAA Women's Golf Championships since 2013.

To be nominated for the CSC Academic All-District Teams, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her current institution. Nominated athletes must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's games at the position listed on the nomination form (where applicable). This honor recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.