GREENWOOD, Ind. -- Continuing a trend of strong work performed by the quartet both academically and athletically, Shawnee State senior bowler Sam Clay, Shawnee State junior Parker Lauders, and Shawnee State sophomores Zach Ison and Blake Landers were each named to the 2025 College Sports Communicators' Academic All-District team, as announced by national officials Tuesday afternoon.
Ultimately, Clay, Ison and Landers each advanced to the CSC-NAIA Academic All-America ballot -- making Shawnee State one of only seven schools in the NAIA to have at least three individuals advance to the CSC-NAIA At-Large ballot. The other six NAIA members who had at least three or more members advance from the NAIA At-Large ballot were Cornerstone (Mich.), Keiser (Fla.), Marian (Ind.), Morningside (Neb.), Siena Heights (Mich.), Taylor (Ind.) and Cumberlands (Ky.).
Parker Lauders
The leader of the clubhouse with a 3.89 GPA in computer engineering technology, Parker Lauders has already earned over 110 credit hours and has made the President's List three separate times (Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025) over the course of his academic career.
A consistent member of the lineup throughout his career at Shawnee State, Lauders raised his pin average to 184.6 as a junior -- up from 182.1 as a sophomore and 180.5 as a freshman.
Outside of the lanes, Lauders is a two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete who is currently interning with the J.M. Smucker Company this summer as a information services developer intern, and has presented at the Shawnee State Celebration of Scholarship with a published abstract on the SSU Digital Commons page among many other community service activities and achivements that can be found at https://www.ssubears.com/sports/mbowl/2024-25/releases/202502202c9zze.
Lauders is a repeat member of the CSC Academic All-District Team.
Blake Landers
Sitting with a 3.78 GPA in radiologic technology, Shawnee State's Blake Landers has earned nearly 60 credit hours and made the President's List in the Fall 2024 semester to boot.
From a bowling standpoint, Landers holds a 195.6 pin average in 2025 and accumulated two top-fives to go along with four top-10s as an individual bowler. Landers averaged 212 pins or better in five different events during the season.
For his career, Landers has posted three top-fives and nine top-10 finishes -- with an Honorable Mention All-Ohio Bowling Conference and Freshman All-OBC accolades in 2024 to his credit.
Landers obtained 2025 CSC Academic All-District honors in his first season eligible for the award.
Zach Ison
Ison, who has a 3.77 GPA in plastics engineering technology, has notched over 85 hours of academic credit.
On the lanes, the 2025 Honorable Mention All-OBC bowler posted a 201 pin average, scored the Shawnee State men's bowling program's first-ever individual win at the American Heartland Bowling Association's Event No. 3 by averaging 234.5 pins, and, in 2024, bowled a perfect 300 game in live competition.
As with Landers, Ison obtained 2025 CSC Academic All-District honors in his first season eligible as a sophomore.
Sam Clay
An exercise science major who completed his bowling eligibility this past spring and will obtain his bachelor's degree in December 2025, Shawnee State's Sam Clay presently holds a 3.67 GPA with over 115 hours of academic credit earned on his line.
The new owner of the single-season record for bowling average at Shawnee State, Clay posted a 206.7 pin average to set the record this past season -- all while finishing in the top-five on two occasions and the top-10 on three during the season. Clay nabbed a 200 pin average or better in eight of the 10 events, and a 210 pin average or better in five of the 10 events en route to setting the new standard.
A 2025 Second-Team All-OBC bowler, Clay raised his pin average by 24 pins from his freshman year (2021-22) to his senior year in 2024-25.
Additional
Along with the group's individual athletic and academic accomplishments, the quartet helped lead SSU to its best-ever USBC Sectional finish in '25 (11th place) while helping Shawnee State qualify for back-to-back sectional appearances in 2024 and 2025 as part of the program's three overall trips to the USBC Sectional in its history.
Additionally, the quartet are each part of Shawnee State's first three event wins in program history -- which include the 2024 and 2025 Greater Pittsburgh Collegiate Classic and the 2025 Western Pennsylvania Baker Classic.
To be eligible for CSC Academic All-District honors, student-athletes must be in the varsity lineup for 70 percent of an institution's days of competition.
