Five Highlight Women’s USTFCCCA Division II All-Academic Track and Field Team

NEW ORLEANS – The end of the track and field season brings a lot of emotions to the table. Several teams vie for a national title while several other student-athletes aim for an individual accomplishment. The end also signals the end of a run for many seniors on the team but also the beginning of a new era for many of the underclassmen. But for five student-athletes, the end of the season meant adding more hardware to their collection of national titles as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced Thursday the Women’s 2008 Division II Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Scholar Athletes of the Year.

Those five athletes are Nandelle Cameron (Lincoln University-Missouri), Sheena Devine (Bemidji State), Emma Erickson (South Dakota), Katelin Rains (Minnesota State) and Jessica Selby-Tallman (Missouri Southern State). Together those five athletes attained six individual national titles both indoors and outdoors.

OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

Cameron, a junior from Trinidad and Tobago, has been named the 2008 Division II Outdoor Track Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year after winning the 200-meter dash at the outdoor championships in May. She posted a time of 23.60 seconds to win the event. She shares the honor with Emma Erickson of South Dakota.

Erickson, also the 2008 Division II Outdoor Track Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year, won her second NCAA title in impressive fashion at the 2008 Outdoor National meet as she broke her own Coyote record in the 800-meter run with a time of two minutes, 7.57 seconds.

“I’m really proud of Emma’s accomplishments this past season.  She did an outstanding job of making the transition from a small town in South Dakota to a top NCAA Division II athlete. Emma had an amazing year, succeeding in athletics and in the classroom,” said South Dakota Head Coach Lucky Huber.

Her effort put her in elite Coyote company as she became only the second women’s athlete and first freshman in South Dakota history to win two national titles in the same year. Erickson, a freshman from Gayville, South Dakota, won her first national title back in March at the NCAA Indoor Championships. She is also the 2008 Indoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year.

The 2008 Division II Outdoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year is Jessica Selby-Tallman of Missouri Southern State. The senior from Galena, Missouri went out in style at this year’s national championships as she won the hammer and finished second in the women’s shot put. She has earned four All-American honors in the outdoor events.

“Jessica embodies the best of Division II Track & Field. She has successfully balanced the demands of track & field, academics, and community service. Her accomplishments in this year’s track & field season are paralleled with her success in the classroom and her willingness to commit time to her community. I believe Jessica’s achievements are due to her exceptional work ethic and positive attitude,” said Patty Vavra, MSSU head coach.

INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

Bemidji State’s Sheena Devine is this year’s Division II Indoor Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year after she picked up her third consecutive indoor shot put title back in March with a new school record toss of 52’2 ½”. The North Branch, Minnesota native is one of only two BSU student-athletes to have earned three or more individual national titles.

Joining Devine as the Indoor Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year is Minnesota State’s Katelin Rains. Rains, the 2008 USTFCCCA Indoor National Field Athlete of the Year won her second consecutive indoor pole vault title at the NCAA Championships in March and in the process broke the national indoor pole vault record for Division II.

“Kaitlin is an all-around student-athlete on and off the field. She leads by example and is one of the hardest workers on the team. She works as hard in the classroom as she does on the track and has had success in both aspects of college,” said Minnesota State coach Jen Blue.

In addition to the Scholar Athletes of the Year, the USTFCCCA also announced the women’s Division II All-Academic Track and Field team. A total of 222 student-athletes representing 69 Division II colleges and universities made up the 2008 All-Academic team.

Grand Valley State led the way with the most student-athletes on the list with 13, while Slippery Rock University added 12 student-athletes. UC-San Diego and South Dakota were close behind with 11 student-athletes making the team.

The USTFCCCA honors Division II individuals for their academic and athletic achievements during the indoor and outdoor track and field season.

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 the NCAA Division II Indoor or Outdoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard in their respective event.

The 2008 USTFCCCA Division II Women’s All-Academic Track and Field Team