SXU Student-Athlete Named to CCAC All-Academic Team
Saint Xavier University (SXU) elementary education major and women's basketball player Madyson Kibelkis has been named to the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) All-Academic Team. To be eligible, a student must maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 or higher, be enrolled at the school for a calendar year, and have completed at least 30 semester hours.
With a perfect 4.0 GPA this season, Kibelkis is proud to see her hard work pay off. Although not making the All-Academic Team as a freshman last year was disappointing, she made it a top priority during her sophomore year to land on the list.
"It feels rewarding to be named to the CCAC All-Academic Team. Being recognized for my hard work in the classroom makes all the late nights doing homework feel worth it. Last year, when I was just a freshman, I got frustrated that I was not eligible to make the team, so making it this year makes it all feel worth it," Kibelkis said.
With a goal of becoming a teacher when she graduates from SXU, Kibelkis considers the balance between basketball and academics to be equally important. While thriving as a guard for the Cougars, she knows what she learns in the classroom will take her far in her career once basketball is over.
"It is very important to me to excel in the classroom as well as on the court because I am going to use what I learn in the classroom to be successful in the future. I will have memories from being on the court for the rest of my life and will take what I learn and apply it to my life," Kibelkis said.
Her key to achieving a 4.0 while excelling on the court is studying and doing homework whenever and wherever. Getting ahead and taking advantage of open time has boosted her so much that she knows continuing this routine for the next two years will keep her in good academic standing.
"Some things that I do to stay on top of my grades during the season are to work ahead and practice great time management. Using spare time between classes and practice to do homework is important, and using the bus rides to do homework helps me stay ahead. I find working ahead the most useful so I do not get behind on my studies," Kibelkis said.