Award History
NCAA DII mTF All-Academic Athletes2019 USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Men’s Track & Field Athlete Academic Awards
NEW ORLEANS – Daniel Wallis of Queens (N.C.) (Men’s Indoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year), Ryan Brown of Lincoln (Mo.) (Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Year), Myles Hunter of Minnesota State (Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year) and Ricko Meckes of Queens (N.C.) (Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year) were honored by the US. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday.
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 312 athletes who earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors.
Scholar Athletes of the Year were selected as the highest finishing individual at the NCAA Division II Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships who achieved All-Academic status. Those athletes who won individual NCAA championships ranked higher in the tiebreaking process and cumulative GPA is weighted as the final advantage.
Separate awards were given to track and field athletes for the indoor and outdoor seasons, making up the four categories in total.
Men’s Indoor Scholar Athlete Award History |
||
Year |
Track Athlete |
Field Athlete |
2019 |
Daniel Wallis, Queens (N.C.) |
Ryan Brown, Lincoln (Mo.) |
2018 |
Dustin Nading, Western Oregon |
Nolan Ellis, Colorado Mines |
2017 |
Rami Gharsalli, Northwood (Mich.) |
Corey Reid, Azusa Pacific |
2016 |
Oliver Aitchison, Adams State |
Sedeekie Edie, Lincoln (Mo.) |
2015 |
Tyler Pence, Southen Indiana |
Lutalo Boyce, Texas A&M-Kingsville |
2014 |
Brayden Burleigh, Shippensburg |
Jeff Piepenbrink, Pittsburg State |
2013 |
Tabor Stevens, Adams State |
Brent Vogel, Central issouri |
2012 |
Akino Ming, Johnson C. Smith |
Shawn Boss, Central Missouri |
2011 |
Leford Green, Johnson C. Smith |
Brent Vogel, Central Missouri |
2010 |
Aaron Braun, Adams State |
Christopher Copeland, Saint Augustine’s |
2009 |
Aaron Braun, Adams State |
Matthew Gersick, Adams State |
2008 |
Chris Cummings, Mansfield |
Matthew Gersick, Adams State |
2007 |
Kim Hogarth, Western State (One award for track & field) |
|
Wallis was selected as Scholar Track Athlete of the indoor season after he compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.88. The graduate student and Guildford, United Kingdom native finished in second overall in the mile and eighth in the 3000, earning First Team All-American honors with his performance across both events. Wallis became the first member of the Queens (N.C.) program to win the Scholar Track Athlete of the Year award during indoors.
Brown was the choice as the Scholar Field Athlete of the indoor campaign as he worked towards a cumulative GPA of 3.37. The sophomore won the national title in the triple jump and placed third in the long jump at the indoor national championships. The St. Catherine, Jamaica native is just the second Blue Tiger in program history to win the award during the indoor season, joining Sedeekie Edie who won the top prize in 2016.
MEN’S OUTDOOR SCHOLAR ATHLETE AWARD HISTORY |
||
Year |
Track Athlete |
Field Athlete |
2019 |
Myles Hunter, Minnesota State |
Ricko Meckes, Queens (N.C.) |
2018 |
Gatien Airiau, Academy of Art |
Nils Fischer, Angelo State |
2017 |
David Ribich, Western Oregon |
Rlorian Obst, Texas A&M-Commerce |
2016 |
Oliver Aitchison, Adams State |
Cody Thomas, Alaska Anchorage |
2015 |
Tabor Stevens, Adams State |
Javan Gray, Texas A&M-Kingsville |
2014 |
Johnnie Guy, Southern Indiana |
Kyle Steinhauser, Ashland David Reinhardt, Slippery Rock |
2013 |
Vegard Olstad, Western State |
Garrett Grey, Ashland |
2012 |
Akino Ming, Johnson C. Smith |
Derrick Vicars, Findlay |
2011 |
Leford Green, Johnson C. Smith |
Brent Vogel, Central Missouri |
2010 |
Mark Husted, Colorado Mines |
Miles Beeler, Pittsburg State |
2009 |
Joshua Streeter, Adams State |
Camille Vandendriessche, Abilene Christian |
2008 |
Aaron Braun, Adams State |
Camille Vandendriessche, Abilene Christian |
2007 |
Aaron Braun, Adams State (One award for track & field) |
|
Hunter was the pick for Scholar Track Athlete of the Year for the outdoor season after he compiled cumulative GPA of 3.50. The senior and Conyers, Ga. native captured the national crown in the 110H at the outdoor championships. Hunter is first athlete to win a Scholar Athlete of the Year award in Minnesota State program history.
Meckes earned the Scholar Field Athlete of the Year award for his work during the outdoor campaign as he worked his way towards a cumulative GPA of 3.83. The graduate student from Germany won the title in the javelin at the outdoor championships. He is the first athlete in program history to win the Scholar Field Athlete of the Year award during outdoors.
ALL-ACADEMIC INDIVIDUALS
Including the Scholar Athletes of the Year, a total of 312 men earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors during the 2018-19 track & field seasons.
To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic award, student-athletes must have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and have reached a provisional or automatic qualifying standard for the NCAA Championships in either the indoor or outdoor season.