AUSTIN, Texas – Illinois State track and field redshirt junior J.D. LaFayette has been named to the Google Cloud Academic All-America Cross Country/Track and Field Second Team, announced the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Thursday.
Ten men are repeat Academic All-America selections this year, including LaFayette, who received a CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team selection in 2015-16. He becomes the 58th Redbird student-athlete to earn this honor, and the third this season, along with Jaelyn Keene of the volleyball program and Collin Braithwaite of the baseball team.
A Normal, Illinois, native, LaFayette maintains a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average as a computer science major. He is one of 23 student-athletes on the 46-member Division I Academic All-America Cross Country/Track and Field teams to carry a GPA of 4.0 or better.
LaFayette is a member of Illinois State's AFNI Honor Roll and the MVC Honor Roll. He has received the MVC's Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award on three separate occasions, and was named to the MVC's Scholar-Athlete Team in 2016 and 2018.
Also a standout on the track, LaFayette captured his second MVC Indoor Track and Field 800-meter title in 2018, helping the Redbird men to their first Valley Championship since 1999. With the Illinois State women taking home the team title as well, LaFayette was part of the Redbirds' first indoor championship sweep since the 1997 season.
In addition to claiming the 800-meter crown, LaFayette was awarded with the MVC's Elite 17 Award for the second time of his career, an honor which recognizes the highest achievement in academics and athletics by a student-athlete in each MVC sponsored-sport. These accomplishments come only a year after LaFayette was forced to redshirt due to injury.
Off of the track, LaFayette serves as Illinois State's Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) President, also having attended the NCAA's Leadership in Sports Forum.
For a full list of Academic All-America selections, visit CoSIDA.com.
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