Wednesday, May 17, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – The 2017 GNAC outdoor champion in the women’s 10,000 meters is also one of the top performers in the classroom as Central Washington sophomore Alexa Shindruk leads a total of 119 selections to the 2016-17 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women’s Track & Field All-Academic Team.

Shindruk, who won the 10,000 meters at last week’s GNAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship, is one of four honorees on the squad with a 4.00 cumulative grade point average. Her major is undeclared. Joining Shindruk as 4.00 performers is Alaska Anchorage sophomore Yvonne Jeschke, a physical education major; Northwest Nazarene senior Carly Gilmore, an English major; and Western Oregon sophomore Grace Knapp, a business major.

In addition to the 4.00 performers, another nine student-athletes have GPAs of 3.90 or better. The list includes Central Washington sophomores Brenna Liebel and Julia Inderbitzin and senior Stephanie Rexus; Concordia senior Rachel McKinnis, Northwest Nazarene sophomore Katherine Conklin and senior Janessa Dyk; Western Oregon junior Sara Madden and Western Washington seniors Jasmine McMullin and Shawna Troupe.

This year’s squad features 60 repeat performers, including 29 who have been selected three or more times. The two four-time honorees (made possible by differing years of eligiblity for the indoor and outdoor seasons) are Alaska Anchorage senior and 2017 heptathlon champion Karolin Anders and Simon Fraser senior Erina Cho.

Central Washington led the way with 18 selections to the team. Western Washington finished with 16 selections while Northwest Nazarene put 15 student-athletes on the team.

To qualify for the GNAC All-Academic Teams, a student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher, be of sophomore standing or better and be in their second season competing at the nominating institution.

* - 2015-16 All-Academic Selection
+ - 2014-15 All-Academic Selection
# - 2013-14 All-Academic Selection