2020 NAIA Women’s Track & Field All-Academic Athletes

NEW ORLEANS – All-Academic Athletes for the 2020 NAIA Women’s Track & Field season were announced on Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Overall, there were 193 women from 53 institutions who were named All-Academic Athletes.

In addition, Emily Kearney of SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) was named the 2020 NAIA Women’s Indoor Track & Field National Scholar Track Athlete of the Year. Kearney, a senior from Wirral, England, with a cumulative GPA of 3.88 in illustration, swept the 3000-5000 titles at the 2020 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships this past March. She won the 3000 by seven seconds in 10:06.24 and took the 5000 by 51 seconds in 16:21.73.

Victoria Faber of Aquinas (Mich.) was named the 2020 NAIA Women’s Indoor Track & Field National Scholar Field Athlete of the Year. Faber, a sophomore from Canton, Michigan, with a 3.87 cumulative GPA in biochemistry and molecular biology, won the pole vault title at the 2020 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships back in early March with a clearance of 4.12m (13-6¼).

Kearney and Faber recorded the best individual finishes at the NAIA Indoor Championships, and had the highest cumulative GPAs, among the All-Academic honorees.

There were six different programs with eight or more All-Academic Athletes, led by Doane (Neb.) with 11. Others with eight or more honorees were Taylor (Ind.) (10), Aquinas (Mich.) (9), Friends (Kan.) (9), Dordt (Iowa) (8) and Huntington (Ind.) (8).

Twenty-two women posted perfect cumulative GPAs of 4.0 and five different programs tied for the most with two athletes: Milligan (Tenn.), Baker (Kan.), St. Francis (Ill.), Bethel (Ind.) and Huntington (Ind.).

Here is the criteria for being named an All-Academic Athlete.

NAIA Track & Field All-Academic Individuals

• CUMULATIVE GPA of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period, certifiable by either Faculty Rep or Compliance Coordinator or Registrar’s Office. Institutions utilizing a different GPA scale must convert the GPA to a 4.0 scale using the standard conversion method [GPA/Scale x 4.0].
• Athletic criteria for the award can be met in the indoor season:
  • Athletes or relays must have achieved an “A” or “B” standard in a Championship event, certifiable by their place on the NAIA descending order lists on TFRRS for Indoor Track and Field.
• Must have completed at least two (2) semesters or three (3) quarters at the certifying institution.

2020 NAIA Track & Field
Women’s All-Academic Athletes