LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska Wesleyan University senior women's basketball player Klaire Phillips has been honored as a CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 selection. The team was announced Thursday (Feb. 21) and Phillips was one of six women to earn All-District honors in district 8 among NCAA Division III schools.
 
Phillips now advances to the national ballot for CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition that will be announced on March 13.   She becomes the first NWU women's basketball player to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors since 2012.
 
A senior from Palymyra, Neb., Phillips has a 3.97 GPA as an Exercise Science major. This season, Phillips was second on the team averaging 10.4 points per game.  She was also second on the team with 78 steals to ranks second in the American Rivers Conference averaging 3.1 per game.  That total tied for the 4^th most single steals in NWU women's basketball history.
 
Phillips played in 100 games during her four-year career.  She shot 78.1 percent at the free throw line, while ranks 7^th in school history.  Her 184 career steals are 4^th on the al-time charts.  She is a two-time IIAC All-Academic team selection.
 
Joining Phillips on the District 8 Academic All-District team were Molly Danielson of Linfield College, Darby Massner of Iowa Wesleyan University, Victoria Pena of University of Texas at Dallas, Ann Savage from Austin College and Jenna Taylor from Simpson College..
 
Student-athletes must meet four criteria to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors: 1) must have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or better, 2) must have at least two terms of attendance at the institution, 3) must be at least a sophomore in athletic eligibility, 4) must be a starter or key reserve in their respective sport.
 
The All-District selection is determined by voting of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). District 8 is comprised of NCAA III schools in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska Wesleyan, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.