Peyton McDaniel Earns First Team Academic All-America Status

GREENWOOD, Ind. – James Madison guard Peyton McDaniel has been selected as a 2024-25 College Sports Communicators First Team Academic All-American®, the CSC announced Wednesday.

This is the first Academic All-America® nod for McDaniel, who has been named CSC Academic All-District® the past three seasons.

McDaniel is the second JMU women's basketball player to earn the distinction, and first to be named to the first team. Previously, Anne Sonoga garnered third team recognition in 1980 and second team honors in 1981.

The Birdsboro, Pa. native helped lead the Dukes to a program record 30 wins and their third consecutive Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Championship title game appearance. McDaniel paced JMU in scoring (16.0 ppg), rebounding (8.3 rpg), steals (61) and blocks (26) on her way to being named the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. The redshirt junior concluded the year as the only Division I player in 2024-25 to average 16 or more points and eight or more rebounds while making at least 70 shots from three.

Additionally, McDaniel is the 24th JMU student-athlete to earn a combined 32 Academic All-America® honors. She was also the only Sun Belt athlete to earn the honor in women's basketball for the 2024-25 season.

JMU Women's Basketball Academic All-Americans®
1979-80 – Anne Sonoga – Third Team
1980-81 – Anne Sonoga – Second Team
2024-25 – Peyton McDaniel – First Team

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