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

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

In addition, Matthew Van Eps of Dordt (Iowa) was named the 2020 NAIA Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Scholar Track Athlete of the Year. Van Eps, a junior from Prinsburg, Minnesota, with a 3.709 cumulative GPA in engineering, won the 800 meters in 1:53.41 at the 2020 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships back in early March.

Dylan Kucera of Midland (Neb.) was named the Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Scholar Field Athlete of the Year. Kucera, a sophomore from Fremont, Nebraska, with a 3.92 cumulative GPA in secondary education, won the shot put title at the 2020 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships back in early March with a heave of 17.74m (58-2½).

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

Overall, there were 134 men from 40 institutions who were named All-Academic Athletes.

There were four different programs with eight or more All-Academic Athletes, led by Concordia (Neb.) with 10. Others with eight or more honorees were Grand View (Iowa) (9), Taylor (Ind.) (9) and Dordt (Iowa) (8).

Seven men posted perfect cumulative GPAs of 4.0 and seven different programs had one athlete do so.

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
Men’s All-Academic Athletes