👟 Seven Jayhawks Honored as College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Selections

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas track and field team saw seven of its Jayhawks honored by College Sport Communicators (CSC) as Academic All-District honorees. Senior Rylee Anderson, junior Chandler Gibbens, junior A.J. Green, sophomore Gabby Hoke, senior Avryl Johnson, junior Michael Joseph and junior Oleg Klykov were all named Academic All-District, the organization announced Wednesday.

In track and field / cross country, a student-athlete is not required to compete in all three sports in order to be nominated. To be eligible, nominees must participate in 50 percent of the competitions that an institution schedules in either cross country, indoor track and field, or outdoor track and field. If an institution schedules multiple competitions on the same weekend (e.g., distance runners at one location, sprinters at a second location, field event athletes at a third), then the entire weekend counts as one competition for 50 percent participation purposes. In other sports, student-athletes who have not participated in at least 50 percent of their team’s contests are not eligible.

Anderson, a Longmont, Colorado native, currently holds a 3.70 cumulative GPA while majoring in exercise science. Athletically, Anderson has been dominant as a high jumper throughout her entire career. This season, Anderson claimed a first-place finish at the 2023 Big 12 Outdoor Championship, jumping 1.83m (6-0 ft.), which makes for her fifth conference title as a Jayhawk. Recently, Anderson punched her ticket to the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships and is currently ranked No. 4 in the NCAA.

A Columbia, Missouri native, Gibbens currently has a GPA of 3.64 while double majoring in political science and accounting. He recently graduated with a bachelor of science in both, and plans to start the accounting master’s program this coming fall. This season, Gibbens broke the program’s 5k record (previously held by Jim Ryun), running to a time of 13:28.71. He also claimed three first-place finishes this season, most recently winning both the 5k and the 10k at the 2023 Big 12 Outdoor Championships in Norman, Oklahoma. He will be joining Anderson at NCAA Outdoor Nationals, qualifying in the men’s 5k with his 12th place finish at the NCAA West Preliminaries last weekend.

Green, a standout 800m runner for the Jayhawks all year, currently holds a 3.54 GPA while majoring in chemical engineering and minoring in economics. Green’s best finish this season came at the John McDonnell Invitational, where he was able to capture the 800-meter victory in a loaded field. The Apple Valley, Minnesota native has also punched his ticket to his first-ever NCAA Outdoor National Championship by placing 11th in the 800m in the final round of the NCAA West Preliminaries, running a new personal best of 1:47.34 in the event.

Hoke, a pole vaulter from Warrensburg, Missouri, holds an impressive 3.83 GPA while majoring in exercise science. Hoke has had three top-three finishes this season, with her best coming at the LSU Invitational, where she claimed the top spot after vaulting a personal best 4.13 meters. She also placed fourth at the 2023 Big 12 Outdoor Championships, earning her a qualification for this year’s NCAA West Preliminaries.

A Libertyville, Illinois native, Johnson currently commands a GPA of 3.64 while holding a degree in design. A top-female distance runner for the Jayhawks, Johnson claimed a first-place finish at the Kansas Relays, running the 1,500 meter in 4:25.41. She also set a personal best at the John McDonnell Invitational, racing to the top finish in 4:18.78 in the 1500 meter. She also qualified for the NCAA West Preliminaries in the women’s 1500 meter, where she placed 36th in a strong field.

An exercise science major, Joseph currently holds a GPA of 3.63. The junior from Gros Islet, St. Lucia has a pair of first place finishes this season. He won the 400m at the LSU Invitational in 46.24 seconds and the 400 meter at the Kansas Relays in 46.15 seconds. His best performance, however, came in the preliminary round of the 2023 Big 12 Outdoor Championships, where he became the first Jayhawk to go sub-45 in the men’s 400m. His 44.77 mark set not only a school record, but also a St. Lucian National Record in the event. Joseph qualified for the NCAA West Preliminaries with ease, where he placed second in the 400-meter finals, punching his ticket to this years’ NCAA National Championships.

Klykov, a native of Moscow, Russia, is majoring in economics and has a GPA of 3.74. He had an impressive year as a hammer thrower, as he has seen five top-three finishes throughout the 2023 outdoor season. Klykov’s most impressive performance came at the 2023 Outdoor Big 12 Championship, where he earned a bronze medal with a 67.26m throw, earning him a spot in the NCAA West Preliminaries with ease.

All seven of these Jayhawks will now be eligible for the CSC Academic All-America teams, which will be announced June 28.