Eight USU Track & Field Members, Both Teams, Earn USTFCCCA Academic Honors

Five members of the Utah State [University’s] women's track and field team and three members of the men's team were named to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) 2009 Division I all-Academic Track and Field team. Both of USU's teams were also recognized with the all-academic team awards, as the women's team was fourth in the country overall, while the men were 25th.

 

"Our teams continue to do the things that we ask of them and that is to excel on the field of competition and in the classroom," veteran USU head coach Gregg Gensel said. "We constantly emphasize those things, and these individual and team honors show that we're going in the right direction with academics as well as athletics."

 

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 the NCAA Division I Indoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard or the NCAA Division I Outdoor regional or national qualifying standard in their respective event.

 

The selection of the all-academic indoor and outdoor scholar teams of the year award is based on a combination of academic and athletic achievements, with the top honor going to the team that had the combination of best overall finish at the Division I Indoor and/or Outdoor National Championships and cumulative GPA.

 

USU's women's team ranked fourth overall and first among schools west of the Mississippi River, compiling a 3.471 cumulative grade-point average, behind Tennessee-Chattanooga's nation-best 3.550, Butler (3.547) and Lipscomb (3.500).

 

The Aggie men ranked 25th overall, with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.141. USU's men were first among WAC schools as well as second among schools from Utah, as Weber State was tied for 13th with a 3.210.

 

Utah State is one of only 63 institutions this year that have both men's and women's teams selected for the award. A total of 282 Division I institutions have men's track & field while 320 have women's track & field.

 

"Collectively, what we try to do in our sport is to do as many things as we can to be a team," Gensel said. "These kids work really hard both on the track and in the classroom, so to receive these team awards for academic achievement is pretty special. Not every team can get that."

 

The five USU women is the most among the Western Athletic Conference's 13 total, while the Aggies' three men is second behind Boise State's five, part of the 11 WAC men recognized.

 

Junior hurdler Ashlee Cannon (Kaysville, Utah/Davis HS) has a 3.53 GPA majoring in heath education. Cannon earned second-team all-WAC honors by finishing sixth at the WAC Championships in the 100m hurdles. She was an NCAA Regional participant, where she ran a season-best 13.81 in the 100m hurdles, finishing sixth in her heat and 17th overall, missing finals. Cannon's time is the No. 7 time on USU's career top 10 list, behind her career-best 13.75 run last year. Cannon also earned first-team all-WAC honors by being on the Aggies' second-place 4x100m relay team.

 

Freshman distance runner Ruth Hilton (St. George, Utah/Pine View HS) is a mechanical engineering major with a 3.73 GPA. An NCAA Regional participant in the 3,000m steeplechase, Hilton placed 26th. Hilton collected first-team all-WAC honors after placing second in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 11.05.07. She also earned second-team all-WAC recognition by finishing fourth in the 5,000m at the WAC Championships with an 18:08.82 time.

 

Sophomore hurdler Heidi Hopkins (Firth, Idaho/Firth HS) has a 3.58 GPA and is a nutrition and food sciences major. Hopkins collected first-team all-WAC accolades by finishing second in the 400m hurdles with a new PR of 59.99. Her time is seventh-fastest in Utah State school history. Hopkins was also a second-team all-WAC honoree by being on USU's fourth-place 4x400m relay squad. Hopkins qualified for the NCAA Regionals in the 400m hurdles, where she placed 18th.

 

Senior thrower Krista Larson (Kaysville, Utah/Davis HS) is majoring in physical education with a 3.43 GPA. Larson earned USTFCCCA Division I All-American honors by finishing ninth in the hammer throw at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She threw for a distance of 194-03 (58.21m), tabbing ninth-place and earning All-America status by being among the top eight American finishers. She is the USU record holder in the event after finishing second at the WAC Championships with a mark of 196-08 (59.95m).

 

Junior distance runner Erin Stratton (Aurora, Colo./Smoky Hill HS) has a 3.97 GPA majoring in exercise science. At the NCAA Regionals, Stratton just missed advancing to the 1,500m finals, running a 4:27.98. Stratton's time was also .95 off her personal-best time. She earned first-team all-WAC accolades by finishing third in the 1,500m

 

Junior thrower Dusty Ott (St. George, Utah/Pine View HS) is majoring in interdisciplinary studies and has a 3.71 GPA. Ott was an NCAA Regional participant in the javelin, tabbing 18th-place. At the WAC Championships, Ott was sixth in the men's javelin with a mark of 202-05 (61.70m), earning him second-team all-WAC accolades.

 

Junior high jumper Clint Silcock (Moore, Idaho/Butte HS) has a 3.55 GPA as an exercise science major. Silcock was also an NCAA Regional participant. Additionally, Silcock garnered first-team all-WAC honors by finishing third in the high jump at the WAC Championships with a height of 6-08.75 (2.05m). Silcock was also an All-American at the NCAA Indoor Championships, finishing tied for ninth-place clearing 6-10.25 (2.09m).

 

Junior distance runner Steve Strickland (Orem, Utah/Mountain View HS) has a 3.55 GPA majoring in Spanish and economics. Strickland was an NCAA Outdoor Championships participant after finishing second at the NCAA West Regionals in the 3,000m steeplechase. Strickland is also the USU school record holder in the event, running an 8:42.71 which he set at the Ohio State Jesse Owens Open on May 1. Strickland successfully defended his WAC Championship in the event and added the 5,000m conference crown.