Wednesday, June 26, 2019

AUSTIN, Texas – Led by a trio of first-team selections, five GNAC athletes have been elected to the 2018-19 Google Cloud/CoSIDA Division II Academic All-America Track & Field/Cross Country Team.

Alaska Anchorage senior Caroline Kurgat leads the quintet, being selected a First Team Academic All-American for the second year in a row. Kurgat is joined on the women’s first team by Western Oregon senior Olivia Woods. Concordia senior Chelsea Bone was named to the third team.

Western Oregon senior Tyler Jones also earned his second Academic All-America selection, being named to the first team after earning second-team honors in 2018. Jones is joined on the men’s team by Concordia junior Adam Brown, who earned third-team honors.

Kurgat, who has a 3.47 cumulative grade point average as a dual major in medical laboratory science and nursing, adds yet another award to her impressive resume. The senior repeated as national champion indoors in the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters and outdoors in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. Kurgat ran a Division II all-time best indoors in both the 3,000 (9:07.05) and the 5,000 (15:28.46) and ran a Division II record outdoors in the 10,000 meters (32:08.09). Kurgat was the GNAC champion in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters indoors and in the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 meters outdoors. She was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Meet in both meets.

In addition, Kurgat was the track and field finalist for the Honda Award for the Division II Female Athlete of the Year and was also named the U.S. Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association’s Division II Outdoor Track Female Athlete of the Year.

Woods, who has a 3.85 GPA as a psychology major, was the runner-up in the 800 meters at the GNAC Indoor Championships in 2:10.13 and went on to place fifth at the Division II Indoor Championships in 2:08.44. Woods placed fifth in the event at the GNAC Outdoor Championships in 2:12.62 and went on to place 12th at the Division II Outdoor Championships in 2:14.36.

Bone, who has a 3.95 GPA as a business major, took third in the GNAC indoors in the pentathlon (3,607 points) and outdoors in the heptathlon (4,982 points). She closed the indoor season at the Division II Indoor Championships, placing 11th in the pentathlon with a season-best score of 3,624 points that ranks No. 6 on the GNAC All-Time List. Bone’s season-best of 5,009 points in the outdoor heptathlon is No. 9 on the GNAC All-Time List.

Jones, a double major in business and economics, was one of nine Male Academic All-America selections with a 4.00 GPA. Jones finished sixth at the GNAC Outdoor Championships in the 5,000 meters in a time of 15:07.35 and was seventh in the GNAC Indoor Championships in the mile with a time of 4:19.69. He also ran a leg on the Wolves’ distance medley relay team that finished ninth at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships.

Brown, who has a 3.91 GPA as a chemistry major, won the GNAC outdoor championship in the 200 meters with a time of 22.07 seconds and placed third in the 400 meters in 48.49 seconds. He finished the season ranked No. 2 in the GNAC in the 200 meters and third in the 400 meters. During the indoor season, Brown won the GNAC title in the 400 meters in 49.03 seconds.

Nominated by and voted upon by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the Google Cloud Academic All-District and All-America programs recognize student-athletes who demonstrate excellence both on the field and in the classroom. Nominees must be of sophomore standing or higher, be a starter or important reserve on their team and carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or greater.