NEW ORLEANS, La. – A total of six Gonzaga Track & Field athletes earned All-Academic honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday. In addition, both programs earned academic team recognition for the 12th straight year.
Alicia Anderson,
Willow Collins,
Jessica Frydenlund,
Kristen Garcia,
Cooper Laird, and
Wil Smith all earned individual honors from the USTFCCCA on Monday. Garcia led all with her third straight nod, while Anderson and Laird earned the honor for the second straight season. For Collins, Frydenlund, and Smith, they earn All-Academic for the first time.
To qualify for USTFCCCA All-Academic honors, student-athletes must have compiled a cumulative GPA of at least 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).
The GU men ranked 18th among Div. 1 men's programs with a 3.5 team GPA, while the women rank 70th with a team GPA of 3.54. To qualify for the team academic award, the cumulative GPA for all student-athletes on the institution's NCAA Squad List for Indoor and/or Outdoor Track and Field must be 3.0 or higher. The Creighton men's program led all schools with a 3.77 team GPA, while the University of Arizona women led with a 3.871.
The Arkansas women earned the National Scholar Team of the Year for the second straight season and eighth time overall. Their 3.445 team GPA, paired with the team title at the 2024 NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships earned them the nod. On the men's side, Texas Tech won the honor with a 3.1675 team GPA and the team title at the Indoor Championships as well.
