Seven Jayhawks Named to USTFCCCA Women's All-Academic Team
July 6, 2007
Seven University of Kansas student-athletes received the honor of being named to the 2007 U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Women’s Division I All-Academic Track and Field Team on Thursday.
Senior thrower Abby Emsick, junior sprinter Ashley Brown, freshman pole vaulter Britany Parker, senior sprinter Janiece Gatson, freshmen high jumper Kelsey Erb, freshman runner Lauren Bonds and junior jumper Libby Harmon represented the Jayhawks on the list.
Brown earned All-America honors by finishing 10th in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships. The exercise science major broke school records in both the 100 and 400-meter hurdles. She also was the Big 12 champion in the 100-meter hurdles and Big 12 runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles.
Emsick, a nursing major from Council Bluffs, Iowa, had a particularly good year as well. She took home the first All-America honor of her career at the NCAA Championships, finishing fourth. The school record holder in the discus has also received Kansas’ Senior Student-Athlete Scholar Award.
Bonds, an international relations major, competed in the USA Championships in the 1,500 meter run. She was an All-Big 12 performer after finishing fifth in the indoor 1,000-meter run and currently ranks second all-time on KU’s outdoor 3000-meter steeplechase performance list.
To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, one must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 and obtain an NCAA automatic or provisional qualifying mark for the most recent indoor championships or an outdoor regional qualifying mark in their respective event.
Arizona State University’s Sarah Stevens and Wake Forest University’s Michelle Sikes were respectively named the 2007 Division I Indoor and Outdoor Scholar Athlete’s of the Year.
415 student-athletes representing 117 Division I colleges and universities make up the All-Academic team.
The USTFCCCA honors Division I individuals for their academic and athletic achievements during the indoor and outdoor track season.
