NEW ORLEANS -- The Washington State University women’s track and field team and 11 student-athletes received national recognition for their combination of athletic and academic excellence in 2013 among all NCAA Division I institutions by the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
The Cougar women’s team, with a 3.18 cumulative grade point average, was one of nine Pac-12 members and one of 187 DI programs to earn the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors.
Eight WSU women track and field competitors were also singled out for individual all-Academic awards: Kelsey Bueno (junior, pole vault, Kent, Wash.) 3.48 GPA computer science; Christine Ekelem (freshman, sprints, Etiwanda, Calif.) 3.81 GPA undeclared; Kristine Felix (freshman, pole vault, Wailuku, Hawai’i) 3.84 GPA undeclared; Dominique Keel (freshman, sprints, Beaverton, Ore.) 3.84 GPA undeclared; Holly Parent (junior, high jump, Victoria, B.C.) 3.86 GPA movement studies; Ruby Roberts (junior, distance, Kingston, Wash.) 3.97 GPA fine arts; Celena Ward (sophomore, javelin, Spokane, Wash.) 3.35 undeclared; and Courtney Zalud (junior, middle distance, Colbert, Wash.) 3.25 GPA accounting.
The three WSU men honored were all distance runners and included Drew Jordan (junior, Medford, Ore.) 3.32 GPA criminal justice, Andrew Kimpel (junior, Spokane, Wash.) 3.42 GPA management information systems, and Todd Wakefield (junior, Kearns, New South Wales, Australia) 3.32 GPA movement studies.
This was the third year Roberts has received the USTFCCCA national All-Academic recognition and the second consecutive year for Ward, Jordan and Kimpel.
There were 710 women student-athletes representing 187 institutions, and 448 men student-athletes representing 149 institutions, tapped for the 2013 USTFCCCA All-Academic teams honoring them for their combined efforts in competition and in the classroom. For complete lists of honorees, go to www.ustfccca.org.
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).
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