Academic All-District III team MEN
Academic All-District III team WOMEN
 
Austin, Texas----Four Wingate University student-athletes have been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District® III at-large teams. Men's lacrosse attack Willie Grieco (Lawrenceville, Ga.), women's lacrosse attack Kayleigh Hiles (Eldersburg, Md.) and swimmers Anna Miram (Ludvika, Sweden) and Jonas Soerensen (Aarhus, Denmark) represent the Bulldogs.
 
With this honor, the College Sports Information Directors of America recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the playing field and in the classroom. Soerensen is a repeat performer, as he made Academic All-America® first team in 2021. Grieco, Hiles and Miram are first-time recipients. In addition to their academic exploits, the WU quartet has helped their teams claim national rankings throughout their respective careers.
 
District III includes schools with affiliations to the South Atlantic Conference, the Conference Carolinas and the Peach Belt Conference. The 12-member Academic All-District® III women's at-large team and the 11-member men's group advance to the national ballot with the Academic All-America® teams to be announced in June.
 
Willie Grieco
('23, finance and accounting double major)
 
- 2022 SAC Offensive Player of the Year was first team USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American
- Led the nation in points per game and assists per game
- Collected 44 goals and 62 assists on the season, adding 31 ground balls
- Registered four points or more in 17 of 18 games this year
- Notched seven or more points on 10 occasions
- Wingate (13-5 overall) advanced to the national quarterfinals, thanks to Grieco and teammates
- Earned first team USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American honors as a sophomore in 2021
- Recorded 28 goals, 64 assists and a SAC-best 92 points
- Led the nation in assists per game following his second Bulldogs season
- Holds a 3.45 GPA with his accounting and finance double major
 
- Wingate head men's lacrosse coach Tim Boyle on Willie Grieco:
 
"We couldn't be prouder of Willie and this honor. He continues to represent the program and the University at a very high level. Willie continues to work very hard at everything he does and we are very excited to see where the future brings him."
 
Kayleigh Hiles
('23, biology major)

- Won Wingate's Pepper Geddings Award as best overall student-athlete at the WUSPYS April 25
- Had 11 goals, 14 assists and 11 draw controls as WU won a school-record 15 games this year
- Wingate (15-4 overall) made its first-ever NCAA tourney appearance, thanks to Hiles and teammates
- Won South Atlantic Conference women's lacrosse Elite 20 Award as a sophomore in 2021
- Posted 16 goals and 18 assists in 14 games (14 starts) as a second-year Bulldog
- Has served as a volunteer youth coach both in Union County and her Maryland hometown
- Possesses a 3.94 GPA with her biology major
 
- Wingate head women's lacrosse coach Abby Wiley on Kayleigh Hiles:

"We couldn't be prouder of Kayleigh for this amazing award. She is the epitome of a wonderful student-athlete. Her dedication both on the field and in the classroom is unmatched."
 
Anna Miram
('22, mathematics and marketing, double major)

- Concluded her final WUSWIM season with three All-Bluegrass Mountain Conference swims
- Career ledger includes six first team AA swims and 18 All-BMC efforts
- Collected eight BMC individual silver medals during her WU tenure
- Earned CSCAA Scholar All-American honors three times
- Served two years as a Bulldog team captain
- Received Wingate Female Athlete of the Year honors in 2020
- Posted four first team AA swims and six All-BMC efforts as a sophomore in 2020
- Graduated summa cum laude with her 3.92 GPA at Wingate's recent commencement exercises
 
- Wingate head women's swimming coach Kirk Sanocki on Anna Miram:

"Anna Miram has the uncanny ability to make people very comfortable around her. She has so much fun in the pursuit of excellence it becomes contagious and brings out the best in her teammates. This is one of the many reasons she is so successful. She approaches the classroom the exact same way. It's not a surprise to see her academic and athletic excellence continue with this honor."
 
Jonas Soerensen
('22, finance major, accounting and economics minors)
 
- Concluded his final WUSWIM season with one gold, one silver and one bronze at the BMC meet
- Won the BMC 1650 Freestyle two years in a row; swim a season-best 1650 time of 15:27.15 at the '22 BMC event
- Achieved one first team All-American swim at the 2022 national championships in Greensboro
- Career ledger includes six first team AA swims and 12 All-BMC efforts
- Collected three BMC individual gold medals during his WU tenure
- Earned CSCAA Scholar All-American honors three times
- Served two years as a Bulldog team captain
- Graduated summa cum laude with his 4.00 GPA at Wingate's recent commencement exercises
 
- Wingate head men's swimming coach Kirk Sanocki on Jonas Soerensen:
 
"Jonas Soerensen's consistency and preparation is second to none. Over his four years, he continually adjusted his outlook to achieve another level of greatness, both in the classroom and in the swimming pool. He'll survey his surroundings and figure out how to bring out his personal best, while being a great leader and teammate."

Wingate University
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as eight master's and five doctoral degrees. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; and the College of Professional Studies, which includes the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Wingate is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 25 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for 14 years straight. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.