The Army West Point Athletics Association’s Academic Support team has selected its scholar-athletes for the month of November, recognizing Women’s Rugby firstie CDT Erin Jacobs, Golf firstie CDT John Heckel Jr., Football cowCDT Andon Thomas, and Volleyball firstie CDT Kingsley Wallace.
Women’s Rugby
CDT Erin Jacobs ’25
Erin Jacobs’ season is a story of determination, constant improvement, and commitment. As a Firstie and experienced fullback on the Women’s Rugby team, Erin has made a tremendous impact on the field and in the classroom. Erin played massive minutes this season and her development over the fall rugby 15s season has been incredible. At fullback, she excelled as the team’s last line of defense while consistently shutting down opponents’ kicking strategies. Under the high ball, she is the team’s most reliable defender, consistently making critical catches in high-pressure situations. On offense, she is a strong forward runner, making a game-changing line break against that resulted in a try that set the tone for a crushing 41-0 victory against Navy. Erin also set the example as a leader on the team through her defensive communication, where she organized the backline and elevated the team’s overall defensive performance. She laid the foundation for this success by setting high standards during practice sessions, where she was always pushing teammates to excel and improve their skills.
In the classroom, Erin boasts a 3.458 cumulative academic GPA as a United States History major and Cyber Security minor. For example, in HI340 – Colonial America, she was the class leader, always prepared, always engaged, and always setting the example, especially for younger history majors. In her capstone course, HI498 – Seminar on the American Revolution, Erin has again taken the lead in driving class discussions, is always immersed in the readings, and demonstrates her top-notch writing skills through her performance on essays and exams. Additionally, Erin has achieved a 3.29 military performance average and serves as Command Sergeant Major of her battalion, reflecting her discipline and high professional standards.
Men’s Golf
CDT John Heckel Jr. ’25
Cadet John Heckel, a firstie and Captain of the Army Men’s Golf Team, sets the example for his teammates and other cadets on how to excel in the classroom and on the course. This year’s team has been very successful with defeating Navy and Air Force to retain the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. John also won the individual title at the Ryan T. Lee Memorial Collegiate Golf Tournament and the individual title for the Command-in-Chief’s Cup. Recently, He became the first Army player to make the watch list for the Fred Haskins Award. CDT Heckel’s performance and leadership has made Army Golf Team 102 extremely successful. CDT Heckel’s influence inspired a change in the culture of the team as its members routinely receive positive cadet evaluation reports for their selfless contributions to their companies. In addition to his leadership and performance on the Golf Team, CDT Heckel has excelled in the classroom. He currently has a CQPA of 3.2 and has excelled in his Business Management electives and his Engineering Sequence.
Football
CDT Andon Thomas ’26
CDT Andon Thomas has consistently demonstrated excellence on the football field this season. He has started in all 10 games (through 11/25) at inside linebacker, helping anchor one of the nation’s top defenses. CDT Thomas leads the defensive unit in tackles with 65.0. He has also logged 2.0 tackles for loss, an interception, and half a sack. CDT Thomas has twice recorded 10+ tackles in a game this season (11 at Tulsa and 10 vs. Air Force). CDT Thomas and his defensive teammates lead a unit that is ranked number 6 in the country in scoring defense.
In the classroom, gym, training and company areas, CDT Andon Thomas has consistently demonstrated excellence across all three developmental pillars and currently ranks 15th in his class. A Chemical Engineering major, Andon has a cumulative academic GPA of 3.997. His Physical and Military development GPAs are also excellent at 3.828 and 3.665 respectively. In recognition of his exceptional leadership ability, Andon was selected to serve as his company’s First Sergeant during the Summer Garrison Regiment detail.
Volleyball
Kingsley Wallace ’25
CDT Wallace currently maintains a 3.426 APSC as a Chemical Engineering major, making the Dean’s list every semester she’s been at West Point. Kingsley was selected for an AIAD at the Army Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground under the Energetic Synthesis and Formulation Branch and her current research is on “The Synthesis of Higher-Energy Propellant Stabilizers.” This summer she was named to the Army Volleyball Leadership Council and with 11 plebes on the team, she is considered the “go-to” for CH101 support. Kingsley has been instrumental in building a positive and winning team culture.
CDT Wallace has put up an impressive showing, leading as the only firstie on one of the youngest rosters in the NCAA. She has put up career-bests in kills (283), hitting percentage (.257), digs (50), solo blocks (11), block assists (75), and total blocks (86). Kingsley has led the team in kills and hitting percentage throughout the season and stands second on the team in block assists and total blocks. She has logged 13 matches with 10+ kills with eight of those performances featuring 15 or more kills. Kingsley stands sixth overall in the league for total kills and for kills per set (3.04) and is the only non-outside hitter to crack the top-10 in those categories. Recently selected for First Team All-Patriot League, CDT Wallace stands seventh in the league for total blocks as well as sixth in the league for total points (331.5).
Listen to the WPAOG Podcast’s episode on West Point’s Center for Enhanced Performance.
Excerpt and image taken from https://goarmywestpoint.com.
