Six City Colleges of Chicago Student-Athletes Receive National Academic Accolade
Daisy Franco
Published: July 24, 2015
For the second-consecutive year, six City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) student-athletes received the NJCAA’s Academic Award for their accomplishments in the classroom as well as on the playing field.
The 2014-15 recipients were Idris Ayantoye of Malcolm X College, Avery Cramer and Somto Okoye of Harry S Truman College, Dewan White and Charles Godspower of Kennedy-King College and Danny Auz of Richard J. Daley College.
In order to qualify for the honor, a student-athlete needs to meet the minimum standards of a 3.60 cumulative grade-point average (GPA), 45 credit hours earned and three full-time semesters of enrollment. The NJCAA issues three different awards, which are based on the student-athletes’ GPA: Pinnacle (4.00 GPA), Superior (3.80-3.99 GPA) and Exemplary (3.60-3.79 GPA).
Ayantoye, a defender on the Malcolm X men’s soccer team, produced a cumulative 4.00 GPA to claim the Pinnacle Award. Ayantoye, who earned an Associate in Science degree in December, was Malcolm X’s valedictorian at the CCC graduation in May. He transferred to the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in the spring semester and is majoring in molecular biochemistry and biophysics.
Ayantoye, who is from Nigeria, is going to play on the IIT soccer team in the fall and will serve on the school’s Executive Board of the African Student Organization in 2015-16 as he will be the Academic Chairperson.
In his lone season on the Malcolm X soccer team in 2014, Ayantoye played in seven games and started four of those contests.
Cramer, a forward on Truman’s men’s soccer team, garnered the Superior Award, while Okoye, a member of the Falcons’ basketball team, qualified for the Exemplary Award.
Cramer obtained an Associate in Arts degree and Okoye an Associate in Science. Both student-athletes were in their first season of athletic competition at Truman in 2014-15 and graduated with highest honors.
Cramer appeared in all 10 of Truman’s games and was a starter on nine occasions. An alum of Point Loma High School in San Diego, Calif., Cramer placed second among the Falcons with 16 shots on goal and third with five points (two goals and one assist).
A 6-foot, 5-inch forward from Nigeria, Okoye averaged 2.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 28 games for the Falcons.
Dewan White and Charles Godspower of the Kennedy-King men’s basketball team received the Superior Award and Exemplary Award, respectively.
White, a 6-foot, 4-inch guard, will return to Kennedy-King in 2015-16 for his sophomore season of athletic eligibility. During his freshman campaign, the Westinghouse High School graduate was voted to the All-Region IV first team, selected to the All-Region IV Tournament Team and chosen as the Region IV Player of the Week once.
White led Kennedy-King with averages of 12.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in 31 appearances, 29 of which were starts. He also contributed 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game and played an instrumental role in leading the Statesmen to the Region IV Tournament finals and a 17-14 record.
Godspower, who anticipates majoring in microbiology at a four-year school, is in the process of completing his Associate in Science degree at Kennedy-King this summer. A two-year member of the Statesmen’s basketball program, the 6-foot, 4-inch forward from Hyde Park High School averaged 5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 30 games in 2014-15.
Auz, a starter on the Daley men’s soccer team in the 2013 and 2014 seasons, is a two-time winner of the Exemplary Award. Auz, who hails from Ecuador, completed his Associate in Science degree requirements in December and graduated with highest honors. He transferred to the Colorado School of Mines in January.
In the 2014 season, Auz, a midfielder, totaled three points after scoring one goal and assisting on another. He was utilized as a starter in 12 of Daley’s 13 games.?