EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Men’s and Women’s Track & Field collected several academic awards from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA) Thursday afternoon.
Both teams were named USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams. USI’s men, which amassed a 3.36 team GPA, were one of 86 Division II men’s programs to earn All-Academic honors, while USI’s women were one of 130 Division II women’s programs to collect All-Academic laurels after compiling a 3.47 team GPA.
In addition to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team awards, USI had a total of three men’s and four women’s student-athletes named USTFCCCA All-Academic. Seniors Austin Nolan (Evansville, Indiana) and Grady Wilkinson (Mt. Carmel, Illinois) as well as junior Noah Hufnagel (Santa Claus, Indiana) were among 330 Division II men’s student-athletes to earn All-Academic honors, while senior Hope Jones (Winders) (Cumberland, Indiana), junior Jennifer Comastri (Indianapolis, Indiana) and sophomores Emma Brown (Evansville, Indiana) and McKenna Cavanaugh (New Albany, Indiana) were among 390 Division II women’s student-athletes to earn the award.
To be eligible for USTFCCCA All-Academic honors, student-athletes need to have a minimum GPA of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale and have achieved an NCAA automatic or provisional qualifying mark (individual or relay event) for either the indoor or outdoor season.
Nolan was a national qualifier in the indoor 5,000 meters, while Wilkinson and Hufnagel each recorded provisional marks in the 10,000 meters during the outdoor season.
Both Brown and Cavanaugh earned first-team All-America honors with USI’s finish in the distance medley relay at the NCAA II Indoor Championships last March, while Cavanaugh also was a second-team All-American in the indoor 3,000 meters before reaching an NCAA II provisional time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase chase during the outdoor campaign.
Comastri and Winders each qualified for the 10,000 meters during the outdoor season, while Comastri earned first-team All-America honors in the indoor 5,000 meters and second-team All-America honors in the outdoor 5,000 meters.
