GREENWOOD, Ind. -- Both of Vanguard's basketball programs were honored today for their College Sports Communicators (CSC) All-District honorees, with the men's side landing an Academic All-American in Erik Howlin.  Howlin was the only player from the West Coast to get picked for the prestigious honor and was selected to the Second Team.  He is the 14th CSC Academic All-American in VU history and this is the third time in school history that multiple CSC Academic All-Americans have been recorded in the same school year.
 
The CSC (formerly known as College Sports Information Directors Association, COSDIA) Academic All-American program began in 1952 and has selected over 44,000 student-athletics for the honor since then.  It is the longest-running, and one of the premier awards, across all levels of collegiate athletics.   The nominated student-athletes must have performed at an elite level on the field and in the classroom during the season.  A nominee must have at least a 3.50 GPA, be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, and meet certain athletic criteria that relate to specific sports.  For basketball, a player must have competed in 90% of an institution's games or started in 66% of the contests.
 

Women's Basketball

Kaylee Byon	Sr.	Kinesiology	Buena Park, Calif.
Akilah Kubi	Jr.	Kinesiology	Kalispell, Mont.
Shayla O'Neil	Gr.	Organizational Psychology	Gilbert, Ariz.
Emma Schaaf	So.	Liberal Studies	Newhall, Calif.

 

Men's Basketball

Erik Howlin	Gr.	Industrial Organizational Psychology	La Habra, Calif.
Kailen Rains	Gr.	Organizational Psychology	San Diego, Calif.

 
Those who hold accomplishments that are truly elite on and off the field are placed in a voting committee and CSC members vote on the national ballot.  Howlin was selected for his perfect GPA as a graduate transfer that was paired with All-Pacific West Conference First Team honors and CCADII All-Region honors.  The leading scorer in the PacWest in 2025-26 joins the following VU student-athletes who received an All-American recognition:
 

VU CSC Academic All-American Team Selections

Adan Alvarado	Third Team	2026 Men's Soccer	VU Release
Melissa Akullu	First Team	2023-24 Women's Basketball
Keili Dorn	First Team	2022 Women's Track & Field	VU Release
Isaiah Lee	First Team	2022 Baseball	VU Release
Amber Alexander	First Team & Player of the Year	2017-18 Women's Basketball	VU Release
Erica Wadell	First Team	2017 Women's Soccer	VU Release
Brittney Boggs	First Team	2015 Softball	VU Release
Taylor Belmont	Second Team	2013-14 Women's Basketball	VU Release
Megan Williams	Second Team	2013 Women's Track & Field
Esther Timmermans	First Team	2012-13 Women's Basketball	VU Release
Brandon Young	First Team	2012 Baseball	VU Release
Gabriela Bergmanova	First Team	2012 At-Large (Tennis)
Rachel Bomgren	Second Team	2007 Softball

 
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