Friday, April 17, 2020

PORTLAND, Ore. – Katrina Linenko finished off her career as the conference indoor champion in the shot put and also ranks among the tops in the classroom as the Concordia senior headlines the 123 student-athletes named to the 2019-20 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women’s Track and Field All-Academic Team.

Linenko is one of two student-athletes on the team to be a four-time selection to the squad. With a 3.87 cumulative grade point average as an exercise and sports science major, Linenko won the 2020 indoor shot put title with a mark of 46 feet, 2.75 inches. A provisional qualifier for the Division II Indoor Championships, Linenko’s mark in the conference ranked second in the event and 33rd in Division II.

Joining Linenko a four-time honoree is Western Oregon senior Grace Knapp, who has a 3.99 GPA as a biology major. Knapp finished sixth in the 3,000 meters at the GNAC Indoor Championships and was part of the third-place distance medley relay team. An NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, Knapp finished ranked 39th in Division II.

Knapp is among 58 repeat selections to the Women’s Track and Field All-Academic Team and 25 student-athletes with a 3.90 GPA or higher. Of the 58 repeat selections, 21 of those are three-time honorees.

A total of 11 honorees have a perfect 4.00 GPA. That list is led by Alaska Anchorage senior Marie Ries, who was named the women’s Elite 90 Award winner at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The award is presented to the student-athlete at each NCAA championship site with the highest cumulative GPA. Ties are broken by total credits completed.

Also among the 4.00 GPAs is Central Washington sophomore Audrey Moore, Concordia senior Karlie Hurley, Northwest Nazarene senior Bethany Danner, junior Katie Heckathorn and sophomores Anna DePew and Breann Porter; Seattle Pacific sophomore Madison Licari, Simon Fraser junior Emily Chilton, Western Oregon senior Danel Camacho and Western Washington sophomore Aliyah Dawkins.

Central Washington leads all GNAC teams with 28 selections. Western Washington finished with 22 selections.

The GNAC All-Academic Teams honor excellence in the classroom while committing to the rigor of being part of a collegiate athletic program. Nominees must be of sophomore eligibility or greater, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20 or greater, be a letterwinner on their team and must be in their second season at the nominating institution.

2020 GNAC WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM

* - 2018-19 All-Academic Selection
+ - 2017-18 All-Academic Selection
# - 2016-17 All-Academic Selection