SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – One of the most decorated student-athletes in school history, JJ Cooney of the University of Sioux Falls Men's Golf Team has been selected to the first team NCAA DII CoSIDA Men's Academic All-American At-Large Team, according to an announcement today by CoSIDA.

Cooney, a two-time CoSID

A All-District VII honoree, was among the 16 individuals, including three from the NSIC, named CoSIDA Academic All-America.  He is the first USF men's golfer to earn CoSIDA Academic All-American honors since USF moved to NCAA DII in 2012.
 
"This is a fantastic honor for JJ Cooney. We are certainly proud of JJ, who has been the epitome of a student-athlete at USF," said USF Men's Golf Head Coach Wade Merry of Cooney, who was earlier this spring was named CoSIDA Academic All-District VII on the At-Large Team for the second straight year.. "In addition to working a full-time job during 2020-21, he was a leader on our team, playing in every tournament while maintaining an extraordinary standard in the classroom. We will miss him this fall for his exceptional leadership. Undoubtedly, JJ helped build the USF Men's Golf tradition of excellence and will leaving a lasting legacy for years to come," Merry said.
 
The At-Large program for the CoSIDA Academic All-America® program includes the sports of fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis, water polo for both men and women; bowling, crew and field hockey for women; and volleyball and wrestling for men.
 
Fourteen men and 10 women are repeat performers on this year's at-large teams. Thirty-two (18 women, 14 men) student-athletes on the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II At-Large Teams have a 4.00 undergraduate GPA. The CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II Women's At-Large First Team had an overall 3.95 GPA, while the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II Men's At-Large First Team had an overall 3.93 GPA.
 
A native of Pickstown, S.D., Cooney, who earlier this year was named an NSIC Scholar Athlete honor award recipient for the second straight year, helped lead the USF Men's Golf Program to the program's first-ever NCAA DII Central Region appearance. The Cougars, led by Cooney, finished 15^th at the NCAA DII Central Regional competition. Cooney, the program's first four-time All-NSIC honoree, finished regionals tied for 45^th overall at 12-over par 224 (75-73-77) at the regional.

In 2021, Cooney competed in eight events and totaled 22 rounds of golf for a team-best 75.31 scoring average for ninth in the NSIC. Cooney and his teammates ranked second in the NSIC in team scoring average at 299.8. He had a season-best finish of third at the Hillcat Classic in Owasso, Okla., which included a season-best round of two-under par 70 as he shot a  218 (76-72-70).

Cooney earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneurial Studies in May and has completed USF's Master of Business Administration program. He was also selected to the CoSIDA At-Large All-District Team in 2020. The standout golfer, who was named USF's Male Student-Athlete of the Year on April 27, 2020, had four top-20 finishes in 2021 and owns 17 top-10 finishes, six top-five and an individual title in his career. He helped lead USF to a program-best third place finish at the NSIC Men's Golf Championships

Cooney is also a four-time Academic All-NSIC selection who received the NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award for a GPA of 3.75 or higher. Cooney was also named the Vucurevich School of Business Outstanding Entrepreneurial Studies Senior during the Spirit of Excellence presentation in 2020.