NEW ORLEANS, La. -- App State track & field saw two individuals earn All-Academic Athlete honors and both men's and women's programs earn All-Academic Team honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Thursday.
Both
Maya Hanks and
Peighton Simmons were honored individually for their work in the classroom. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have a 3.25 in the most recent grading period. In addition, the student-athlete must have finished the season ranked in the top 96 in any championship individual event, or in the top 48 in any championship relay event, for the most recent indoor season or must have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships (the Preliminary Championship Competition and/or the Final Championship Competition) or for the multi-events, must have finished the season ranked in the top 48 in the East or top 48 in the West for the most recent outdoor season.
Hanks, a Human Services major, qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round during the outdoor season. She also earned Third Team All-Sun Belt honors during the outdoor season in the triple jump.
Simmons, a Education Studies major, qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round during the outdoor season. She captured the Sun Belt triple jump title during both the indoor and outdoor season, becoming the first Mountaineer to accomplish the feat since 2010.
In addition, both men's and women's programs earned All-Academic Team honors. To be eligible, the cumulative GPA for all student-athletes on the institution's NCAA Squad List
for Indoor and/or Outdoor Track and Field must be 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period.
The Mountaineer women posted a team GPA of 3.46, while men's the program finished with a 3.03 team GPA.
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is a non-profit professional organization representing cross country and track & field coaches of all levels. The organization represents thousands of coaching members encompassing NCAA track & field programs (DI, DII, and DIII) and includes members representing the NAIA and NJCAA, as well as a number of state high school coaches associations. The USTFCCCA serves as an advocate for cross country and track & field coaches, providing a leadership structure to assist the needs of a diverse membership, serving as a lobbyist for coaches' interests, and working as a liaison between the various stakeholders in the sports of cross country and track & field.
