Adams State Trio Highlights USTFCCCA Division II Men’s All-Academic Track and Field Teams

NEW ORLEANS – Adams State’s Aaron Braun, Matthew Gersick and Joshua Streeter, and Abilene Christian’s Camille Vandendriessche have been named the 2009 Men’s Division II Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Scholar Athletes of the Year, the U.S Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Tuesday.

Braun, Gersick, and Vandendriessche each earned the Scholar Athlete of the Year distinction for the second straight year. In 2008 Braun and Vandendriessche were the outdoor scholar athletes, while Gersick was the indoor field scholar athlete.

OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

Adams State’s Joshua Streeter is the Outdoor Track Scholar Athlete after winning the 400 meter hurdles at the 2009 Division II Outdoor National Track and Field Championships. He won the event with a time of 51.66. Streeter, a senior, also had a strong showing at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships as he won the 400 meter dash and finished third overall in the 400 meter hurdles.

Streeter, a native of Alamosa, Colorado, is a Theatre Arts major with a 3.750 cumulative grade point average.

Vandendriessche, the 2009 Division II Outdoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year, won his third straight decathlon title at the Division II national championships with a new personal best of 7,674 points. In winning his third straight multi-event title the senior from Paris, France became the first athlete in NCAA Division II history to win three straight multi-event championships, the third athlete in NCAA history to win three straight multi-event titles, and only the fourth athlete in NCAA history to win three multi-event titles in a career.

Vandendriessche was named the 2009 Lone Star Conference Field Athlete of the Year for his efforts during the 2009 season. At the LSC Outdoor Championships, the senior took home the javelin title with a 195′ plus effort. Vandendriessche is a senior with a 3.400 cumulative grade point average majoring in Journalism.

INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

Braun, a Fort Collins, Colo. native, earns his second-straight Scholar Athlete of the Year honor, this time for the indoor season. Braun won the national title in the mile (4:10.60) and was second overall in the 5,000 meters (14:15.66). At the RMAC Indoor Championships, Braun finished third in the mile and anchored the winning distance medley relay squad.

Braun was named the USTFCCCA Division II National Track Athlete of the Year and Central Region Track Athlete of the Year for the indoor track and field season. Braun is a senior with a 3.770 cumulative grade point average in Mathematics.

Braun’s teammate, Matt Gersick, also picked up his second straight Scholar Athlete of the Year honor as he was chosen as the 2009 Division II Indoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. Gersick, a graduate student at Adams State, has maintained a 3.838 cumulative grade point average overall while studying Human Performance. The 2009 USTFCCCA Division II Central Region Field Athlete of the Year indoors won the national title in the shot put (59’0.25″) and finished third in the weight throw (65’3.25″).

At the RMAC Indoor Championships, Gersick was a double winner in the shot put and weight throw.

In addition to the Scholar Athletes of the Year, the USTFCCCA also announced the men’s Division II All-Academic Track and Field Team. A total of 136 student-athletes representing 56 Division II colleges and universities made up the 2009 All-Academic team.

For the second straight year Grand Valley State led the way with the most student-athletes on the list with seven, followed by Adams State and The University of Findlay with six apiece. For conferences, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference had the most student-athletes on the list with 29 followed by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference with 21, and the RMAC with 17.

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.

2009 USTFCCCA Division II Men’s All-Academic Track and Field Team: