BOZEMAN — (Editor's Note: Montana State Athletics Press Release)
Montana State senior standout Tori Martell has been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District® Women’s Basketball Team.
The 2020-21 Academic All-District® Women’s Basketball Team, selected by CoSIDA, recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The product of Somerset, Wis., recently graduated in nursing with a 4.0 grade-point average. This winter, Martell garnered All-Big Sky Conference Second-Team accolades after averaging 13.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
Martell also led the Big Sky in three-point field goals per game, three-point field goals made, three-point field goals attempted, and three-point field goal percentage. She ranked 16th in the nation, averaging 2.88 three-pointers per contest and was 20th in the country with 69 triples. Martell established a school record connecting on eight three-pointers against North Dakota on Dec. 6, 2020.
In April, the 5-8 shooting guard captured the Rocket Mortgage Women’s 3-Point title at the men’s Final Four in Indianapolis and was a member of the IHOP Team Shootout championship team. A four-time All-Big Sky Conference academic honoree, Martell finished her career third on MSU’s all-time three-point makes list with 211 triples.
“What Tori was able to accomplish both on the court and in the classroom is absolutely phenomenal,” said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. “To play at the highest level and maintain a 4.0 grade-point average in MSU’s prestigious nursing program is a testament to her commitment to excellence. This season, she had to navigate COVID-19 both on the court and with her nursing clinicals. It wasn’t easy, but she produced one of the best seasons in our program’s history if you look at the combination of athletics and academics.”
Martell now advances to the CoSIDA Academic All-America ballot. The CoSIDA Academic All-America® program separately recognizes basketball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in late May.
She is the first Bobcat women’s basketball player to earn one of the nation’s highest academic honors for student-athletes since Rachel Semansky in 2013. Martell was also the only Big Sky Conference player to make an academic all-district team.
The CoSIDA Academic All-District® teams divided into geographic districts across the United States and Canada. Montana State is part of District 6 along with schools from Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Also named to the all-academic District 6 team are Laura Bagwell Katalinich and Jasmine Powell of Minnesota, Myah Selland, South Dakota State, and Quinn Weidemann, Wyoming.
