Hopkins wins Academic All-America of the Year, leads 3 Bulldogs on AAA team

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast had an eye-popping three sophomore student-athletes named to the 2020 CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large Team for the College Division, including golfer Jon Hopkins who was named Team Member of the Year.

Luke Mills, from the Bulldogs men's soccer team, and Austin Bolton, from the national championship football team, were named to the 10-person men's team. Gulf Coast's three members on that team were the most by any school. Monroe College, from New Rochelle, N.Y., placed five total student-athletes on the men's and women's team.

The 10 members of the first team had an average GPA of 3.93 as five student-athletes had a perfect 4.0 GPA. The college division includes two-year institutions, Canadian institutions and any United States four-year institutions that are not affiliated with the NCAA or NAIA.

Despite the cancellation of spring competition during COVID-19, the College Sports Information Directors of America continued its sponsorship of the Academic All-America awards program. Student-athletes were selected based on career statistics.

Hopkins, from Bishop's Stortford, England, picked up the top CoSIDA award and is also a finalist for the Jack Nicklaus Award, given to the top golfer in the NJCAA. He won three of the seven tournaments he competed in during the shortened 2019-20 season, finishing outside the top seven only once. Hopkins won the Hubert Tucker Award for leading the MACJC in scoring average at 70.17 strokes per round and All-MACJC First Team honors for the second time.

"This really sums up a really good two years I've had at MGCCC," Hopkins said. "They've been enjoyable, and I've been able to focus on my academics while playing. It means a lot, really."

In his freshman year, he won three tournaments and never finished worse than ninth. He tied for eighth at the 2019 NJCAA Division II National Championship, earning all-tournament and NJCAA All-America first-team honors. Hopkins was also a semifinalist for the Nicklaus Award.

Hopkins signed a scholarship to continue his collegiate golf career at NCAA Division I Florida Gulf Coast. He graduated with an associate's degree in business with a 3.95 GPA.

"It was just making sure I got my head down to do the work when I needed to," he said, "so I could focus on the golf."

Mills, a central defender from Leighton Buzzard, England, was named to the United Soccer Coaches Men's Junior College Division I All-South Region Second Team after the Bulldogs' 13-6-1 season. He had three assists and led the team to a berth in the MACJC championship game. He scored twice as a freshman, winning NJCAA All-Academic First Team and Distinguished MACJC All-Academic Honors.

"It's a great way to end my career and a very honorable award to receive," he said. "It's something to remember my experience by, something to reflect upon with pride for what I achieved while at the school."

Mills is headed to NCAA Division II Newman University to continue his academic and athletic careers. He graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA in business.

"My main focus was to get things done as soon as you can," he said. "By letting things drag and build up, you have to spend all night until early in the morning doing all the work you've left. As soon as you get it, knock it out. You can focus on soccer a lot more because you've not spent so much time doing assignments that have built up."

Bolton, a running back from Poplarville, led the national champions with 841 yards rushing. His 13 touchdowns also led the Bulldogs and were tied for seventh-most in the NJCAA. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Bulldogs' 24-13 win over Lackawanna in the national championship game, and ran 30 times for 116 yards and the game-winning touchdown in the MACJC championship game.   

"It means a lot. We worked hard to get to this point," he said. "For all of us to put in that work and get to this point is amazing. I give God the glory."

As a freshman, Bolton averaged 5.8 yards per carry (66 rushes, 382 yards) and scored three times. He was named to the NJCAA All-Academic Second Team and the MACJC Distinguished MACJC All-Academic Team.

Bolton graduated in December and in the spring attended NCAA Division I Alcorn State, where he signed a scholarship. He finished with a 3.87 GPA in business.

"It was just attack it," he said. "I went in there with an open mind and listened to the teachers. I did what I had to do to come out of there with an A."

The 10 members of the first team had an average GPA of 3.93 as five student-athletes had a perfect 4.0 GPA.

For more information on MGCCC's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.