Track & Field leads conference with 30 Academic All-Big 12 honorees

Track & Field leads conference with 30 Academic All-Big 12 honorees

05.10.2016 | Student Services, Track & Field / Cross Country

Men have record year with 14 on list

AUSTIN, Texas – The Big 12 Conference announced its 2016 Academic All-Big 12 Track & Field Teams on Tuesday and the Texas Longhorns lead the way with 30 honorees. A total of 24 of those were named to the first team for Texas as the league recognized 222 student-athletes overall. Kansas joined Texas atop the league with a combined 30 men's and women's honorees.

Texas landed 11 men on the first team and three on the second team. The women's team had 13 make the first team and three named to the second team.

The 11 Longhorns on the first team for the men, was tops in the conference for a second straight year while Kansas led overall with 15 combined men's first and second teamers.

The 11 men on the first team is the most first team honors in Texas history, surpassing last year's 10. Prior to that the previous best for UT's men was nine set in 2003. The total of 14 on the men's side also is the best in program history, defeating the 2003 mark of 13.

Only Oklahoma and Oklahoma State had more women named Academic All-Big 12 this year, each with 17. With 16 total honorees the Texas women post the second-best in school history behind 19 from 2010 and 2012. The 13 first-teamers also is second in the women's program trailing 16 from 2010 and 2012.

Five men repeated as first team members as the Big 12 honored Carlton Anumnu, Charles Anumnu, Ryan Crouser, Parks McNeil and Brady Turnbull. Nate Moore also earned second team honors for the second time in his career. Eight men's Longhorns received Academic All-Big 12 for the first time.

Katie Burford earned first team recognition for the third straight year while Courtney Okolo was named to the second team for the third year in a row.

Melissa Gonzalez, Hannah Grubb, Mary Beth Hamilton and Shelby Poncik all received first team honors for a second straight year. Katie Ruhala received first team honors this year after being named second team last year. Nine women earned the first Academic All-Big 12 distinction of their careers.

The Big 12 recognized a total of 222 track and field student-athletes this year on the all-academic team with 89 members on the men's team and 133 on the women's. A total of 183 of those student-athletes earned first team honors and 16 were recognized with perfect 4.0 GPA's.

To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or high either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of their team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except the percentage of participation are also eligible.

2016 Texas Longhorns on Academic All-Big 12 Track & Field

Men
Carlton Anumnu (electrical engineering) – first team
Charles Anumnu (electrical engineering) – first team
Zack Bilderback (computer science) – second team
Ryan Crouser (economics) – first team
Logan Emery (exercise science) – first team
Senoj-Jay Givans (exercise science) – first team
Chris Irvin (mechanical engineering) – second team
Jake McConnell (exercise science) – first team
Parks McNeil (corporate communications) – first team
Nate Moore (science & technology management) – second team
Brian Peterson (management information systems) – first team
Barrett Poth (undeclared) – first team
Brady Turnbull (supply chain management) – first team
Robert Uhr (linguistics) – first team

Women
Mobolaji Adeokun (health promotion) – second team
Morolake Akinosun (exercise science) – first team
Katie Burford (public health) – first team
Lauryn Caldwell (health promotion) – second team
Melissa Gonzalez (sport management) – first team
Hannah Grubb (mechanical engineering) – first team
Mary Beth Hamilton (applied learning and development) – first team
Ariel Jones (rhetoric & writing) – first team
Courtney Okolo (exercise science) second team
Sierra Patrick (corporate communication) – first team
Shay Petty (corporate communication) – first team
Shelby Poncik (government/liberal arts honors program) – first team
Sandie Raines (psychology) – first team
Katie Ruhala (exercise science) – first team
Caitland Smith (exercise science) – first team
Ali Uhle (exercise science) – first team