DIII Track & Field Women’s All-Academic Honorees Named; Four Named as Scholar-Athletes of the Year

NEW ORLEANS – Keelie Finnel (Coe), Emma Dewart (Ithaca), Jennifer Gossels (Williams), and Kelly Lovett (Carleton) were named on Wednesday as Scholar Athletes of the Year in Division III for the 2011 track & field seasons by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The group represents collegiate track & field’s best in both athletics and academics. In addition, 328 individuals were tapped as USTFCCCA All-Academic honorees.

Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards are determined from among those who earned All-Academic status and placed highest in individual events at the most recent NCAA Championships. Those who earn multiple individual championship titles rank higher in the tie-breaking process, and cumulative GPA is weighed as the final tiebreaker to establish a winner. Separate awards are given to track athletes and field athletes for the indoor and outdoor seasons, resulting in four categories.

Indoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year –
Keelie Finnel, Coe

Finnel, a junior from Francis Creek, Wis., was the indoor NCAA 800-meter champion and holds a 3.40 cumulative GPA as an education major.

Indoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year –
Emma Dewart, Ithaca

Dewart, a junior from Barker, N.Y., was the 2011 pentathlon champion at the NCAA indoor championships and holds a 3.59 cumulative GPA, majoring in health and physical education.

Outdoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year –
Jennifer Gossels, Williams

Williams, a sophomore from Sudbury, Mass., was the NCAA outdoor champion in the 5000 and 10,000 meters. The math and computer science major holds a 4.00 cumulative GPA through the spring 2011 semester.

Outdoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year –
Kelly Lovett, Carleton

Lovett, a senior from Portland, Ore., is the NCAA’s most recent javelin champion in Division III. Lovett holds a 3.80 cumulative GPA as a political science major at Carleton.

Past Scholar-Athlete of the Year Winners

Indoor Track & Field (track athlete)
2011: Keelie Finnel, Coe
2010: Emily Schudrowitz, St. Norbert
2009: Ayla Mitchell, UW Oshkosh
2008: Rachel Anderson, Illinois Wesleyan

Indoor Track & Field (field athlete)
2011: Emma Dewart, Ithaca
2010: Kristen Bates, Messiah
2009: Caitlin Schetter, UW La Crosse
2008: Morgen Leonard-Fleckman, Washington (Mo.)

Outdoor Track & Field (track athlete)
2011: Jennifer Gossels, Williams
2010: Marie Borner, Bethel (Minn.)
2009: Sumer Rohrs, Frostburg State
2008: Rachel Anderson, Illinois Wesleyan

Outdoor Track & Field (field athlete)
2011: Kelly Lovett, Carleton
2010: Holly Ozanich, UW Oshkosh
2009: Caitlin Schetter, UW La Crosse
2008: Natalie Calderon, Redlands

Outdoor Track & Field (single award)
2007: Terri Schwamb, UW Oshkosh

328 Earn All-Academic Status

In addition to the Scholar Athletes of the Year, the USTFCCCA also announced the women’s 2011 Division III All-Academic Track & Field team. A total of 328 student-athletes representing 102 institutions compose the group.

Wartburg led the country with 13 nods to the All-Academic list, followed by Williams at 12, UW-Eau Claire at 11, and Ithaca at 11. In the conference leaders category, the WIAC earned 39 honors among league schools while the NESCAC (37) and IIAC (33) as second- and third-best, respectively.

National champions Rachel Boerner (Calvin), Abigail Schaffer (Moravian), Randelle Boots (Wellesley), Breanna Strupp (UW-Oshkosh), Kim Chinn (Baldwin-Wallace), and Laura Barito (Stevens) joined Finnel, Dewart, Gossels, and Lovett on the All-Academic list.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 and have met an NCAA automatic or provisional qualifying marks in an individual or relay event. Participation in an NCAA Championship also fulfills the athletic component of All-Academic qualification.

The men’s All-Academic individual honorees will be named on Friday. Those institutions given All-Academic Team status will be named on Tuesday, August 9 (men) and Wednesday, August 10 (women).

USTFCCCA 2011 Division III Track & Field All-Academic Honorees, WOMEN