Ottumwa, IA – Sophomore Mason Costello (Waukee, IA/Waukee) of the Indian Hills Men's Basketball team has been named a 2026 First-Team Academic All-American®, announced by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Wednesday.
Costello is one of just 20 individuals across the country to be named to the Academic All-American® Men's At-Large College Division which recognizes student-athletes from two-year colleges and universities as well as Canadian institutions. Just 0.2% of all NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA at-large men's student-athletes earned the title of Academic All-American® in 2025-26.
"Mason Costello is what we are all looking for in a student-athlete," stated head coach Cole Dewey. "His work ethic, both on and off the floor is second to none. For Mason to be selected as an All-American both on the floor and in the classroom shows what can happen when you give it your best each and every day. I'm extremely excited to follow his career at Appalachian State and onward. The best is yet to come for Mase, because he will never stop working."
Costello was named a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Men's Basketball Third-Team All-American during his sophomore campaign with the Warriors. The sharpshooter led the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) in three-point field goal attempts for the second consecutive season, connecting on a career-high 64 shots from beyond the arc this past season.
Costello, a two-time NJCAA All-Region 11 selection, including first-team honors as a sophomore, ranks 10th all-time in school history with 119 career three-point shots made. Costello tallied 588 career points during his two-year stint with the Warriors.
Costello will continue his academic and athletic career at Appalachian State University next season
In addition to Costello, sophomores Mohamed Tarek Abdelhady and Shehabeldin Mohamed of the Indian Hills Men's Wrestling squad have also been named as CSC First-Team Academic All-American® honorees.
Read More: Abdelhady Named First-Team Academic All-American®
Read More: Mohamed Named First-Team Academic All-American®
Across all levels of collegiate athletics (NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, and Canadian Institutions), Indian Hills Community College is the only school in the nation to place three individuals on the first-team in their respective division.
Over the past three seasons, Indian Hills has now garnered a total of 14 CSC Academic All-American® honors, including nine first-team recipients.
COSTELLO'S FILE
- 2026 CSC First-Team Academic All-American®
- 2025-26 NJCAA DI Men's Basketball Third-Team All-American
- 2025-26 NJCAA Region 11 First-Team
- ICCAC DI Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week
- 2x NJCAA All-Academic
- 3x ICCAC Academic All-Region First-Team
- Top-10 in school history in 3PT FGM
- Indian Hills Competitive Excellence Recipient
The 2026 Academic All-American® Men's and Women's At-Large Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC), recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field of play and in the classroom. In order to be eligible for Academic All-American® consideration, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically, hold a 3.50 cumulative GPA or above, and be a starter or important reserve for their respective teams. The CSC Academic All-America® program, which was established in 1952, separately recognizes at-large honorees in five divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, and the College Division (two-year and Canadian institutions).
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