Taylor Cheer Picks Up Four CSC Academic All-District Nods
UPLAND, Ind. – The Taylor competitive cheer program collected four academic honors recently, with Emma Barile, Alexis Bunch, Brey Knavel and David Musser being named to the 2026 CSC NAIA At-Large Academic All-District Team.
The CSC Academic All-District distinction is designed to recognize student-athletes for outstanding achievements in academics and athletics. To receive the honor, an athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or higher on a 4.0 scale, must have reached sophomore status academically, and must have competed in at least 90-percent of their team's competitions during the current season.
Each university is limited to six nominations for the men's at-large team and six for the women's at-large team, which recognize student-athletes from an assortment of sports, including lacrosse, competitive cheer and golf.
Barile earned her first CSC Academic All-District recognition while pursuing a master's degree in leadership. Barile posted a 3.91 cumulative grade-point average with an undergraduate degree in public relations and was also named a NAIA Scholar-Athlete during her final collegiate campaign.
Bunch also garnered her first CSC Academic All-District nod after completing her senior season with a 3.67 grade-point average. The communications major also took NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors for her work in the classroom earlier this spring.
Knavel picked up a second-straight CSC Academic All-District selection with a 3.57 cumulative GPA in film and media arts. The junior and two-time CSC Academic All-District standout also collected NAIA Scholar-Athlete recognition for her work in the classroom.
Musser rounded out TU's list of CSC Academic All-District performers on the competitive cheer team, joining Knavel as a two-time recipient of the honor. The senior philosophy major with a 3.63 GPA added the honor to his First-Team All-CL and NAIA Scholar-Athlete awards this season.
Barile, Bunch, Knavel and Musser helped Taylor post its finest competitive cheer season in school history. TU notched its first, second, fourth, eighth and ninth-best team scores, won the Crossroads League Championship and finished 11th at the NAIA National Championships.
The four CSC Academic All-District awards from TU competitive cheer increased the number of honors by Taylor Athletics for the 2025-2026 year to 61.
Selected CSC Academic All-District recipients advance to the ballot for CSC Academic All-American honors, which will be voted on by members of the CSC before being announced on July 7 and 8.