Zips Garner 2018 USTFCCCA Team and Individual Academic Recognition

Zips Garner 2018 USTFCCCA Team and Individual Academic Recognition

July 26 | Track & Field

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USTFCCCA ALL-ACADEMIC MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TEAM RELEASE |
USTFCCCA ALL-ACADEMIC INDIVIDUALS MEN'S RELEASE |
USTFCCCA ALL-ACADEMIC INDIVIDUALS WOMEN'S RELEASE

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The University of Akron track and field team was rewarded for its efforts in the classroom as the Zips' women's squad was tabbed by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as 2018 All-Academic Team recipient, the USTFCCCA unveiled on Thursday.

A total of 220 women's and 141 men's teams earned the distinction as a result of earning a cumulative team GPA of 3.00 or higher. The Akron women's squad recorded a 3.33 cumulative GPA to be honored for the 16th consecutive campaign.

Individually, Akron earned 14 selections to the 2018 All-Academic Individual List, including the Zips' women's squad which garnered nine award winners.

"I am very proud of our athletes that have done the best at combining their academic and athletic pursuits," Akron head track and field coach Dennis Mitchell commented. "This year our highest-placing male athlete, Matt Ludwig, and our highest-placing female athletes Lucy Bryan and Jackie Siefring prove that you can be great at both pursuits. Our women winning both a Mid-American Conference team title and being honored academically reinforces that hard work in the classroom can help with the hard work on the field. I congratulate all these athletes for their effort and work at being excellent."

Earning All-Academic honors for the 2018 campaign from Akron were redshirt junior Mackenzie Andrews (3.88/Health/Physical Education) (Toowoomba, Australia), junior Lucy Bryan (3.53/Sport Management) (Bristol, England), freshman Jenna Frantz (3.80/Biology) (Versailles, Ohio), redshirt freshman Abby Helminiak (3.60/Early Childhood Education) (Toledo, Ohio), sophomore Brandon Hochbein (3.76/Emergency Management) (Sarver, Pa.), redshirt sophomore Malik Hudson (3.27/Media Studies) (Cleveland, Ohio), junior Rodrigo Iglesias (3.93/Mathematics) (Logrono, Spain), junior Matt Ludwig (3.85/Biomedical Engineering) (Chardon, Ohio), senior Patricia Ortega (3.97/Sport Science/Coaching) (Logorono, Spain), junior Dara Perry (3.32/Psychology) (Akron, Ohio), seniors Ariadna Ramos Gandia (3.74/Sport Science/Coaching) (Barcelona, Spain), Jackie Siefring (3.68/Biomedical Engineering) (Covington, Ohio) and Taron Slone (3.74/Sport Science/Coaching) (Columbus, Ohio) and junior Olivia Snyder (3.74/Biology) (Navarre, Ohio).

In all, a total of 874 women and 624 men earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors for their combined academic and athletic accomplishments during the 2018 campaign.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and have met at least one of the following athletic standards:

• For the indoor season, a student-athlete must have finished the regular season ranked in the national top 96 in an individual event or ranked in the national top 48 (collective listing) in a relay event on the official NCAA POP list provided by TFRRS.org.

• For the outdoor season, a student-athlete must have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Championships (including preliminary rounds).