van der Mars Earns CoSIDA Academic All-District Honors

Thomas van der Mars Earns CoSIDA Academic All-District Honors

University of Portland junior center Thomas van der Mars was one of five players named to the Capital One Academic All-District 8 Team, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced on Thursday. Van der Mars will now be eligible for Academic All-America honors.

A native of Gouda, The Netherlands, van der Mars has a 3.95 cumulative grade-point average and is majoring in operations and technology management through the University's Pamplin School of Business.

He has been a Dean's List honoree all five of his semesters on campus and was named to the West Coast Conference All-Academic team last year.

On the court, van der Mars is having a breakout 2013-14 season, averaging career-highs in points (12.1) and rebounds (6.8 ). He ranks fourth in the WCC in field goal percentage (.588), 10th in rebounding and 22nd in scoring.

Van der Mars recently set a career-high with 27 points and matched his career best with 18 rebounds in a triple overtime win over BYU. He previously dropped a 19-point, 18-rebound effort against Portland State on Dec. 7 that earned him WCC Player of the Week honors. He has recorded five double-doubles on the season.

A three-year starter, van der Mars already ranks in the top 10 in school history in blocked shots and field goal percentage.

CoSIDA will vote next week from the pool of the eight district winners to determine the 2013-14 Capital One Academic All-America Team.

CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District 8 First Team

District 8 Winners NCAA Division I:
Thomas van der mars PORTLAND, UNIVERSITY OF  Jr. Gouda, Netherlands 3.95 Operations and Technology Management
Johnny Dee SAN DIEGO, UNIVERSITY OF  Jr. Vista, CA 3.41 Finance
Malte Kramer PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY  Sr. Frieburg, Germany 4.00 Economics
Holton Hunsaker UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY  Sr. North Salt Lake City, UT 3.88 Accounting
Beau Levesque SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE (CA)  Gr. Lafayette, CA 3.80 Master of Arts in Leadership
Brandon Taylor UTAH, UNIVERSITY OF  So. Los Angeles, Calif. 3.70 Pscyhology