NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State men's and women's track & field programs have both earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team honors, as announced by the organization in late July. Eleven Redbirds received individual USTFCCCA All-Academic recognition, including eight men and three women.
To qualify for USTFCCCA All-Academic honors as a team, the cumulative GPA for all student-athletes on the institution's NCAA Squad List for Indoor and/or Outdoor Track & Field must be 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period. The Redbird women achieved a team GPA of 3.36, while the men's squad posted a 3.24.
Individual USTFCCCA All-Academic recognition is determined on both academic and athletic performance. Each of the 11 Redbirds who earned USTFCCCA All-Academic status maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale and completed at least two semesters at Illinois State.
The honorees also met athletic criteria for the award in either the indoor season or the outdoor season. For the indoor season, a student-athlete must have finished the 2024-25 competition year ranked in the top 96 in a championship individual event or the top 48 of a championship relay event. For the outdoor season, one must have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships or for the multi-events, must have finished the outdoor season ranked in the top 48 in the East or top 48 in the West.
Illinois State's individual USTFCCCA All-Academic award winners include:
Women's Team
Erin Starks, Psychology
Kiley Sanders, Health and Wellness
Corrina Courser, Interior Design
Men's Team
Ariel Atias, Biomechanics
Charles Cruse, Finance
Enyinnaya Nwagwu Jr., Biology
Zach Paul, Business Administration
William Sinclair, University Studies
Garrett Taylor, Finance
Evan Watson, Accounting
Jake Welch, Construction Management
