IRVING, Texas — BYU golfer Keanu Akina was named to the 2024 Spring Academic All-Big 12 Team for his accomplishments on the course and in the classroom, the conference announced on Tuesday.
Akina graduated with a degree in entrepreneurial management and held a 3.14 GPA. The now-graduate appeared in all 13 events for the Cougars during the 2023-24 campaign. Akina bolstered a 72.35 scoring average in 2023-24 with six top-25 finishes.
His highest finishes came at the Arizona NIT (70-66-70—206; -10) and Bridgestone Collegiate Championship (72-77-71—220; +4) where he finished in a tie for 17th in both events. Akina, who began his professional golf career this week at the 2024 Primo Provo Open, shot rounds of 69-71-70—210 for a 6-under total to finish in a tie for 14th in his first professional event.
To qualify for Academic All-Big 12 honors, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 20 percent of their team’s scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.
BYU completes the 2023-24 athletic year with 197 total academic all-conference honorees, 193 of which were awarded by the Big 12. Women’s track and field (27), women’s swim and dive (24) and football (23) led all sports in academic recognitions. After 57 and 58 Big 12 honorees in Fall and Winter, respectively, the Cougars’ Spring all-academic teams totaled 78 athletes.
Bella Folino of women’s soccer, Eliza Millar-Crossman of women’s gymnastics and Chloe Temples of softball earned the Cougars' most prestigious individual academic accolades in 2023-24. Folino was recognized with the NCAA’s Elite 90 Award at the College Cup while Millar-Crossman and Temples claimed Big 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year awards in their respective sports.