Three Trailblazers Earn CSC At-Large Academic All-District Honors

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Women's Ice Hockey players Belle Wurmser (Brick, NJ), Summer Bissaillion (Blind River), and Kiera Grom (Livonia, MI) have earned All-District recognition by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American program.

This is the first time Grom and Bissaillion have been honored, while it is the second time for Wurmser, who was previously honored as part of the At-Large All-District team last year. They join 13 student-athletes who earned the honor this fall and five who earned the honor this winter, and follow 30 athletes from the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years. Prior to 2023, no MCLA athlete had been honored by CSC since 2019, when softball outfielder Kaitlyn Berghela was named to the Academic All-American Division III third team.

The leading returner from the 2024-25 season for goals, points, and assists, Bissaillion was a key piece on the ice for the Trailblazers. As the team's season was coming to a close, the defenseman was starting to heat up, notching points in four straight games, starting with assists in back-to-back games against Hilbert College on December 12th and 13th, and then adding one more during both the Trailblazers' 3-2 win over Framingham State on January 9th and against Worcester State on January 23rd. Bissaillion finished her third season with the Trailblazer hockey program and is majoring in Health Sciences.

Grom was a top-six forward for the Trailblazers, tying for the team lead with three goals and second on the team with four points. She picked up goals in both the Trailblazers' shootout win over Hilbert College on December 13th and a 3-2 win over Framingham State on January 9th. The sophomore also recorded points in back-to-back games on the road, scoring a goal at Salem State on November 15th and providing an assist at Rivier on November 21st. Grom is a two-year member of the Trailblazer hockey program and is majoring in Chemistry.

A leader on and off the ice, Wurmser was tied for second most points among returning players and was second on the 2025-26 team with 99 faceoff wins. The junior forward scored the Trailblazer's second goal in a 2-2 shootout win over Hilbert College on December 13th and finished the game that night as a +2. She also provided an assist on MCLA's lone goal versus Worcester State on January 24th. Wurmser finished her third season with the Trailblazer hockey program and is majoring in Political Science.

Per the College Sports Communicators (previously known as COSIDA) website, the Academic All-American is a title reserved for college student-athletes who perform at an elite level in their chosen sport and in the classroom. The all-time list of 40,000+ Academic All-Americans includes major sports stars and some of the world's most accomplished individuals in medicine, business, science, and the arts. Established in 1952 and selected by College Sports Communicators, Academic All-America is the longest-running and premier award for athletic and academic success across championship college sports at all NCAA levels, the NAIA, two-year colleges, and Canadian institutions. Teams are announced year-round and amplified by CSC member colleges, universities, and conferences on a wide local, regional, national, and even international scope.

To be eligible for consideration, student-athletes must demonstrate the best traits of a student-athlete, both on and off the playing field. Among the requirements are:

• Outstanding student-athletes are nominated for Academic All-District® recognition by communications directors and must have a minimum 3.50 GPA and meet high athletic standards. (25,000+ nominations annually)
• A select group of student-athletes advances to the national ballot, where CSC members vote on Academic All-America teams. (approximately 2,000 selections annually)
• A Team Member of the Year is selected in each sport and division. (66 recipients)
• An overall Academic All-America of the Year is selected as the top student-athlete across all sports in each NCAA and NAIA division. (4 recipients)

STAY CONNECTED:

For the latest on MCLA Athletics, follow the Trailblazers via our social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter).