July 26, 2012
NEW ORLEANS - The Baylor men's and women's track and field teams, along with 13 individuals earned all-academic recognition by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, officials announced Thursday.
As a team, Baylor claimed honors on both sides, while 11 women and two men were honored individually for their combined work in the classroom and in competitions. Baylor's 13 total individuals is up two from the 11 that were honored in 2011.
For the women, senior's Diamond Richardson and Jessica Ubanyionwu, juniors Christina Holland and Cate Westenhover, sophomores Justine Charbonnet, Mariah Kelly, Tiffani McReynolds and Alyssa Nichols, and freshmen Erin Hegarty, Rachel Johnson and Raena Rhone earned the distinction. Richardson and Ubanyionwu were each honored for the fourth straight time, while Holland and Reynolds earned their second USTFCCCA academic honor.
On the men's side a pair of seniors, James Gilreath and Philip Raaf took home the honors. The award marks the third consecutive season for Gilreath and first in Raaf's career.
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 either 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).
