Thursday, June 23, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – Three of the top standouts in GNAC cross country and track and field, and three of the top academic performers in the conference, are being recognized with selection to the CoSIDA Division II Academic All-America Track and Field/Cross Country Team.

The conference’s Male Student-Athlete of the Year, Simon Fraser senior Cameron Proceviat, was elected to the Men’s Academic All-America Second Team while Northwest Nazarene junior Isaac Mitchell was named to the third team. Western Washington senior Taylor Guenther was the GNAC’s only selection to the Women’s Academic All-America Team, earning third team honors. The three were among 10 GNAC athletes who earned Academic All-District 8 honors in May.

Proceviat was elected by the conference’s athletic directors as the GNAC Male Student-Athlete of the Year earlier this month, graduating from Simon Fraser with a 3.90 cumulative grade point average as a double major in molecular biology and biochemistry. An All-American indoors and a Second Team All-American outdoors in the 800 meters, Proceviat repeated in February as the GNAC champion in the indoor 800 meters before finishing sixth at the NCAA Indoor Championships. He finished runner-up in both the 800 meters and 1,500 meters at the GNAC Outdoor Championships before placing 10th in the 800 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

During cross country, Proceviat placed 11th at the GNAC Championships and then earned All-West Region honors with a 17th place finish at the West Regional Championships. The senior helped lead Simon Fraser to a 12th place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships.

Mitchell was Northwest Nazarene’s top men’s performer on the track and on the cross country course while maintaining a 4.00 cumulative grade point average as a biology major (pre-medicine emphasis). The junior earned All-GNAC honors during the cross country season with his eighth place finish at the GNAC Championships and earned All-West Region distinction with a 23rd place finish at the NCAA West Region Championships. An 800-meter specialist during the track and field season, Mitchell place fifth in the event at the GNAC Outdoor Championships.

Guenther earned All-American honors with a 26th place finish at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships as she led Western Washington to a sixth place team finish. She earned All-GNAC honors with her sixth place finish at the GNAC Cross Country Championships and also earned All-West Region honors with a sixth place finish at the West Regional meet, leading the Vikings to a second place finish. Guenther, who has a 3.90 GPA in communication sciences & disorders, finished her season with a 10th place finish in the 5,000 meters at the GNAC Outdoor Championships.

Nominated by and voted upon by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the Academic All-America program honors over 2,000 student-athletes annually in all major divisions of college athletics through the program’s All-District and All-American programs. Honorees in the Academic All-America program must be of sophomore athletic eligibility, must have been at the nominating school for at least one year, must be a start or important reserve for their team and must have a 3.30 cumulative grade point average or better. To learn more about the Academic All-America Program, visit CoSIDA.com.