June 5, 2008
NORMAL, Ill. -
Illinois State track and field sophomore Scott Krapf and seniors Suzy Turner and Devon Williams were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V men's and women's track and field/cross country teams, as announced by CoSIDA Thursday. Krapf and Turner were both first-team selections while Williams was a second-team selection.
Illinois State head track and field coach Elvis Forde feels that Krapf, Turner and Williams are deserving of the recognition as they are leaders athletically and academically.
"I cannot think of three more deserving student-athletes that could have earned this award," said Forde. "When you look back at what they have all done for our team at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championships, all three of them were integral point-scorers for us. What separates these three is their success on the track carries over into the classroom. Not only that, but they were all very involved or took part in some kind of leadership whether it was as a team captain, a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) or involved in community service. I believe that their success follows them in their campus and community life."
Krapf, garnered four All-Missouri Valley Conference accolades during the 2007-08 cross country and track and field seasons for the Redbirds and holds a 4.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in recreation and park administration. In his most recent performance at the Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Krapf was runner-up in the 10,000-meter run. He held the league's fastest time in the 10K with a time of 29:48.09, which he achieved at the Mt. SAC Relays (4/17/09).
The Danville, Ill., native also holds the Valley's top-indoor season performance in the 5,000-meter run, with a career-best time of 14:33.93, and was selected as an indoor all-conference performer in the 3,000 and 5,000. Krapf was also ISU's top-finisher at the MVC cross country championship 8K race, finishing fourth with a time of 24.40.60. Krapf is a 2007 MVC Cross Country and 2008 Track and Field Scholar-Athlete, was named to the 2008 MVC Honor Roll and received the MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award.
"All three of them are deserving," said Forde. "Suzy and Devon will be missed this coming year, but we still will have Scott and we hope that he can raise his performance level and become a conference champion in cross country and in indoor and outdoor track and field."
Turner completed her senior season by garnering five all-conference awards in cross country and track and field, while maintaining a 3.78 GPA in biological science. At the Valley Outdoor Championships she placed second in the 10,000-meter run, with a career-best time of 35:42.80 that broke the conference championship meet record, while also finishing third in the 5,000-meter run. Turner's performance in the 10,000 is the third fastest in school history. During the indoor season Turner was named to the All-MVC team for her third-place finishes in the 3,000 (9:56.53) and distance medley relay (1:56.90). She was an integral part of the women's cross country team and was ISU's top-finisher at the conference cross country championships, crossing the finish line sixth with a time of 17:28.40.
The Palatine, Ill., native is a 2007 MVC Cross Country and 2008 Track and Field Scholar-Athlete, was named to the 2008 MVC Honor Roll, and received the MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award.
Williams completed her senior career as a five-time MVC conference champion in the indoor 60 and 200 and the outdoor 100, 200 and 4x100-meter relay, while maintaining a 3.30 GPA in nursing. The Oswego, Ill., native ended a prolific career at with a total of four school records, 11 conference titles, an indoor championship meet record, regional qualifying performances and as a two time Missouri Valley Conference's Indoor Track and Field Most Outstanding Female Track Athlete. This season, she ran a career-best performance of 23.90 in the 200, and season-best of 11.57 in the 100 and 46.19 in the 4x100 at the MVC Outdoor Championships.
The native of Oswego, Ill., is a 2008 Track and Field Scholar-Athlete, was also named to the MVC Honor Roll, and received the MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award.
