All-Academic Individuals & Scholar Athletes of the Year – 2018 NCAA DI Men’s Track & Field

NEW ORLEANS – Michael Norman of Southern California, Mostafa Hassan of Colorado State, Ben Flanagan of Michigan and Luke Vaughn of Memphis were named the Men’s Scholar Athletes of the Year in NCAA Division I Track & Field on Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Combining their accomplishments in the classroom and in competition during the recently completed academic year, these four men were the most exceptional among a group of 624 men who earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors.

Scholar Athletes of the Year were selected as the highest finishing performers at the NCAA Division I Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships who achieved All-Academic status. Those athletes who won individual NCAA titles ranked higher in the tie-breaking process and cumulative GPA is weighed as the final advantage.

Separate awards are given to track athletes and field athletes for the indoor and outdoor seasons, hence the four categories.

Norman and Hassan were bestowed with the honors from the indoor season, while Flanagan and Vaughn picked up the respective awards for the outdoor season.

Norman, who was a sophomore majoring in Communications and held down a cumulative GPA of 3.36, was named the Men’s Indoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year. The native of Murrieta, California, starred during the indoor season. Norman won the NCAA 400-meter title in a world record-setting time of 44.52 and anchored the Trojans to an all-time world best mark of 3:00.77 in the 4×400 relay. He is the first athlete from Southern California to be named Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Hassan, who graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and attained a cumulative GPA of 3.37, was named the Men’s Indoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. The native of Cairo, Egypt, repeated as NCAA indoor shot put champion when he heaved the implement 20.86m (68-5¼) in College Station, Texas. He is the first athlete from Colorado State to be named Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Flanagan, who is pursuing a masters degree in Interpersonal Practice/Mental Health MSW and achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.90, was named the Men’s Outdoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year. The native of Kitchener, Ontario, was a surprise winner in the 10,000 at the NCAA Championships in June as he set a personal best in 28:34.53. Flanagan is the second athlete from Michigan to be named Scholar Athlete of the Year (Mason Ferlic in 2016).

Vaughn, who earned his Master of Arts in Teaching with a cumulative GPA of 3.77, was named the Men’s Outdoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. The native of EAst Peoria, Illinois won the discus crown at Historic Hayward Field with a heave of 60.41m (198-2). Vaughn is the second athlete from Memphis to be named Scholar Athlete of the Year (Manuel Ziegler in 2013).

All-Academic Individuals

Including the Scholar Athletes of the Year, a total of 626 men earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors during the 2017-18 track & field seasons.

To qualify for USTFCCCA All-Academic honors, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and have met at least one of the following athletic standards:

• For the indoor season, a student-athlete must have finished the regular season ranked in the national top 96 in an individual event or ranked in the national top 48 (collective listing) in a relay event on the official NCAA POP list provided by TFRRS.org.
• For the outdoor season, a student-athlete must have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Championships (including preliminary rounds).

BYU had the most individuals honored with 21.

There were 21 men who earned a cumulative GPA of 4.0 or better.