The Mountain West Conference recently recognized 50 San Diego State student-athletes by naming them in its spring 2011 Academic All-Mountain West team.

Athletes in spring sports such as basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, swimming and diving, track and field and softball are recognized each year for their academic achievements while being a starter or significant contributor to their teams.

Female athletes such as softball players Devin Gray and Katelyn Mathis made up more than three quarters of the Aztec athletes who made the team this year.

Gray, a pre-nursing major, has been playing softball competitively since she was an eight-year-old in Northern California. She said during the school year there isn’t time for much other than studying and softball but she loves the outdoors, running and reading. This summer, Gray has the chance to travel to Costa Rica for a Spanish immersion study abroad trip.

Mathis, a pre-anthropology major, agreed with Gray about their lack of spare time during the school year but she said academics have always been a priority for her.

The MWC recognized a total of 782 student athletes in nine universities breaking a previous record of 772 in the 2008-09 school year. Brigham Young University had 157, the most student-athletes recognized in the conference. SDSU had the least.

Despite the epic season the Aztec men’s basketball team had last year, only one player, Mehdi Cheriet, was recognized with the academic distinction. The University of New Mexico and Colorado State University had the most men’s basketball players make the all-academic team with four each.