Men's and Women’s Track Teams Receive USTFCCCA Academic Honors

July 13, 2006

 

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State's men's track team joined the women's team in receiving the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Academic Award, while two members of the men's team were named to the USTFCCCA Men's All-Academic Track & Field Team, announced by the association Thursday (July 13).

 

The USTFCCCA honors individuals and teams for their academic and athletic accomplishments during the indoor and outdoor track seasons. A total of 23 Division I men's teams had cumulative grade-point averages of 3.0 or higher.

 

"For both our men's and women's track and field teams to receive these honors is a great tribute to the student athletes. They put in long hours both in the classroom and in training for their events, and this goes to show that the hard work pays off," USU head track & field coach Gregg Gensel said. "One of the things we stress on the track and field team is academics, and this is further verification that the student-athletes are putting the emphasis on the student part of that title. They're utilizing their opportunity that they are here to get an education."

 

Utah State was the only Western Athletic Conference team honored, while the Aggies were one of three teams from the state of Utah, joined by Brigham Young and Weber State.

 

Individually, two Aggies were named to the USTFCCCA Men's All-Academic Track and Field Team, as a pair of distance runners, senior Trevor Ball (Logan, Utah) and junior Vance Twitchell (Helena, Mont.) were recognized.

 

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, an athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher and must have met the NCAA Division I regional or national qualifying standard in her event.

 

These awards add to the men's track team's honors collection, as they received the third-place USU Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Award for top academic team with more than 20 members earlier this spring. The Aggies also had 16 student athletes receive Academic All-WAC recognition this spring as well.

 

Trevor Ball - SR - Distance - Logan, Utah
Vance Twitchell - JR - Distance - Helena, Mont.

 

 

 

 

Six Aggies Named to All-Academic Track & Field Team

 

July 13, 2006

 

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State's women's track team received the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Academic Award, while six Aggies were named to the USTFCCCA Women's All-Academic Track and Field Team.

 

The USTFCCCA honors individuals and teams for their academic and athletic accomplishments during the indoor and outdoor track seasons. Seventy-five Division I women's teams had cumulative grade-point averages of 3.0 or higher.

 

"One of the things we stress on the track and field team is academics, and this is further verification that the student athletes are putting the emphasis on the student part of that title,” USU head track and field coach Gregg Gensel said. “They're utilizing their opportunity that they are here to get an education."

 

Utah State was one of three Western Athletic Conference teams honored, as the Aggies were joined by Hawai'i and Nevada. Utah State was one of two teams from the state of Utah, joined by Weber State.

 

Individually, six Aggies were named to the USTFCCCA Women's All-Academic Track and Field Team. Sophomore pole vaulter Kathryn Duhadway (Logan, Utah), junior hurdler Amber Judd (Hyrum, Utah), as well as distance runners, senior Kristen Guymon (Salt Lake City, Utah), sophomore Stacie Lifferth (Layton, Utah), senior Tiffany Strickland (Orem, Utah), and junior Jennifer Twitchell (Sandy, Utah) earned recognition.

 

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, an athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher and must have met the NCAA Division I regional or national qualifying standard in her event.

 

These honors add to the women's track team's award collection, as they received the USU Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Award for top academic team with more than 20 members earlier this spring. The Aggies also had 18 student athletes receive Academic All-WAC recognition this spring as well.

 

 

Kathryn Duhadway - SO - Pole Vault - Logan, Utah
Kristen Guymon - SR - Distance - Salt Lake City, Utah
Amber Judd - JR - Hurdles - Hyrum, Utah
Stacie Lifferth - SO - Distance - Layton, Utah
Tiffany Strickland - SR - Distance - Orem, Utah
Jennifer Twitchell - JR - Distance - Sandy, Utah