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

NEW ORLEANS – Dhruvil Patel of North Central (Ill.), Will Daniels of Central (Iowa), Mark Fairley of Central (Iowa) and Tobias Muellers of Williams were named the Men’s Scholar Athletes of the Year in NCAA Division III 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 408 men who earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors.

Scholar Athletes of the Year were selected as the highest finishing performers at the NCAA Division III 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.

Patel and Daniels were bestowed with the honors from the indoor season, while Fairley and Muellers picked up the respective awards for the outdoor season.

Patel, a junior who is majoring in Accounting with a GPA of 3.66, was named the Men’s Indoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year. He won the 5000-meter crown in 14:22.48 and placed fourth in the 3000 in a PR of 8:19.87. Patel is the second athlete from North Central (Ill.) to be named Men’s Indoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year (John Crain in 2014).

Daniels, a sophomore who is majoring in Biology with a GPA of 4.00, was named the Men’s Indoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. He nabbed the heptathlon title with a total score of 5287, just 20 more than runner-up Nate Newman of Ohio Wesleyan. Daniels is the first athlete from Central (Iowa) to be named Men’s Indoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Fairley, who graduated with a degree in Exercise Science with a GPA of 3.83, was named the Men’s Outdoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year. He had a strong outdoor season and capped it with the steeplechase title in 9:04.50. Fairley is the first athlete from Central (Iowa) to be named Men’s Outdoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Muellers, who graduated with a degree in Chemistry with a GPA of 3.90, was named the Men’s Outdoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. He won the decathlon title with a total score of 6969, more than 100 points better than runner-up Alex Canchola of George Fox. Muellers is the second athlete from Williams to earn a Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year award (Connor Kamm was named the 2010 Men’s Outdoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year).

All-Academic Individuals

Including the Scholar Athletes of the Year, a total of 408 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 3.30 and must have met at least one of the following athletic standards:

• Competed in an NCAA Indoor or Outdoor Championship
• Finished the regular season ranked in the national top-50 in an individual event or ranked in the national top-35 in a relay event on the official NCAA Descending Order List.

There were 11 men who earned GPAs of 4.0 or better.