ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® TEAM S ELECTED BY C O S IDA
For Release: Monday, June 22 – Noon ET ALEX MARTIN OF COLLEGE OF IDAHO, DANIELLE DeCASTRO OF OREGON TECH HEADLINES CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® NAIA TRACK & FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS
AUSTIN, Texas | Seniors Danielle De Castro of Oregon Institute of Technology and Alex Martin of College of Idaho headline the 2019- 20 CoSIDA Academic All-America® NAIA Division Cross Country/Track & Field teams as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
The NAIA Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NAIA national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2019-20 NAIA Academic All-America® teams program. Despite the cancellation of spring competition during COVID-19, CoSIDA continued its sponsorship of the Academic All-America awards program. Student-athletes were selected based on career statistics.
De Castro, who was a CoSIDA Academic All-America* first-team selection a year ago and is majoring in mechanical engineering, is a seven-time NAIA All-American boasting a 4.0 grade-point average. The Seattle, Washington. native excelled on the cross country course and the track as she holds five school records in the indoor 1,000-meter, mile, 3000-meter and the distance medley relay as well as the outdoor 1,500-meter run.
On the track, De Castro earned All-American honors in four different events and on the cross country course, finishing inside the top-30 twice in 2016 and 2018.
Joining De Castro as repeat first-team selections are Taylor Bluemel (Taylor University) and Kelli Smith (Cornerstone University). The 10-member first team had three 4.0 GPAs and averaged a 3.93 GPA. Westmont College’s Chena Underhill was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team for the third consecutive year.
On the men’s side, Alex Martin is a repeat first-team selection and finished off an illustrious career which featured five NAIA All-American accolades. Martin earned a 3.96 GPA in biology.
A native of Bend, Oregon, the senior was recently named the College of Idaho’s Senior Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was recognized as the 2019 United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Martin is a five-time NAIA All-American, a five-time All-Cascade Collegiate Conference selection and a six-time CCC All-Academic Team pick.
Martin is the only repeat first-team selection from a year ago while Luke Skinner (University of Saint Mary) earned second-team accolades this year after being on the top team a year ago.
Two members of the 2020 first-team boasted a 4.0 GPA and the average GPA of the 10 recipients was 3.86.
For more information on the Academic All-America® program, go to https://academicallamerica.com/.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Michael MacEachern, Young Harris College | Academic All-America® Co-Director for Publicity [email protected] | (706) 379-5106
Aaron Sagraves, Cornerstone University | Academic All-America® Coordinator of Publicity [email protected] | (616) 977-5415
2019-20 Academic All-America® Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team NAIA
FIRST TEAM Name School Yr. GPA Major Maxwell Cruse Dakota State University Sr. 4.00 Computer Science Nicholas Grandperrin University of the Cumberlands Sr. 3.75 Information Technology Oscar Kipkoros Oklahoma City University Gr. 3.67/3.67 Criminology / Non-Profit Leadership Management Dylan Kucera Midland University So. 3.91 Secondary Education Kyle Manuel Southeastern University Jr. 4.00 Nursing Alex Martin (1) College of Idaho Sr. 3.96 Biology Michael Oldach Westmont College Sr. 3.77 Kinesiology Cole Olsen Lewis-Clark State College Jr. 3.95 Kinesiology Carter Price York College (Neb.) Sr. 3.81 Biology Riley Sine Northwest University (Wash.) Gr. 3.83 Bible & Theology
SECOND TEAM Name School Yr. GPA Major Johnathan Bowen University of Saint Mary Jr. 3.76 Exercise Science Jacob Cornelio Concordia University (Neb.) Sr. 3.41 Psychology Jordan Crawford Missouri Baptist University So. 4.00 Exercise Science Jack Dickinson Westmont College Sr. 3.87 English Zachary Kleppe Arizona Christian University Sr. 3.80 Behavioral Health Kristopher Kostelecky College of Idaho Sr. 3.83 Health Sciences Barthelemy Peter Indiana Institute of Technology Sr. 3.69 Software Engineering Michal Roguski Oklahoma City University Sr. 3.97 Chemistry Mark Shaw Oklahoma City University Gr. 3.36/3.38 MBA Luke Skinner (1) University of Saint Mary Jr. 3.96 Biology Matthew Van Eps Dordt University Jr. 3.66 Engineering
CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year: Alex Martin, College of Idaho
(1) – CoSIDA Academic All-America® NAIA first-team selection in 2018-19
2019-20 Academic All-America® Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team NAIA
FIRST TEAM Name School Yr. GPA Major Ariana Anderson Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.) So. 4.00 Aerospace Engineering Rachel Battershell Concordia University (Neb.) So. 3.97 Biology / Pre-Med Taylor Bluemel (1) Taylor University Sr. 3.96 Elementary Education Bailey Cossentine William Jessup University Sr. 4.00 Kinesiology Danielle De Castro (1) Oregon Institute of Technology Sr. 4.00 Mechanical Engineering Kate Grint Doane University Sr. 3.69 Biology Kelli Smith (1) Cornerstone University (Mich.) Sr. 3.94 Elementary Education Chena Underhill (1, $) Westmont College Sr. 3.97 Political Science / Data Analytics Molly Vitale-Sullivan College of Idaho Sr. 3.87 Physics / Mathematics Vendela Williams William Jessup University Sr. 3.90 Psychology
SECOND TEAM Name School Yr. GPA Major Lorna Bechtel Indiana Wesleyan University Jr. 3.93 Nursing Destiny Copeland Indiana Institute of Technology So. 3.85 Psychology Julia Johnson University of Jamestown Sr. 4.00 Nursing Morgan Luedy Cornerstone University (Mich.) Jr. 3.85 Exercise Science Evelyn Moore University of the Cumberlands Sr. 3.94 Biology Hayley Newman Indiana Institute of Technology Sr. 3.87 Psychology / Child Development Anika Rasubala Northwest Christian University Sr. 3.83 Business Administration Julia Rohm Southeastern University Jr. 3.98 Nursing Alison Shapic Madonna University Sr. 3.79 Biology Amanda Sorokin Cornerstone University (Mich.) Sr. 3.64 Exercise Science Mikayla Tinkham University of British Columbia Jr. 3.73 Nursing Megan Van Harn William Woods University Sr. 3.88 Equestrian
CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year: Danielle De Castro, Oregon Institute of Technology
(1) – CoSIDA Academic All-America® NAIA first-team selection in 2018-19 ($) – CoSIDA Academic All-America® NAIA first-team selection in 2017-18