Three members of The University of Scranton men’s and women’s track and field teams garnered U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Athlete honors as announced by the organization on Wednesday afternoon.
Along with individual honors for junior Noelle Gonzalez (Harrington Park, N.J./Northern Valley-Old Tappan), senior Jessica Hoffmann (Millington, N.J./Watchung Hills) and senior Shane McKeon (Royersford, Pa./Pope John Paul II), both the Royals’ men’s and women’s track and field programs earned All-Academic Team honors for the second consecutive year. In order to receive the award, teams must have a cumulative 3.1 GPA on a 4.0 scale through the most recent semester.
The men’s team posted a cumulative 3.39 GPA, while the women held a 3.55 GPA.
In order to qualify for All-Academic Athlete honors, individuals must have a cumulative 3.30 GPA on a 4.0 scale and must meet one of the following criteria:
- Must have finished the indoor or outdoor season among the top 50 individuals as listed on the descending order lists on TFRRS. In addition, any athletes not among the top 50, but who participated at the Indoor or Outdoor National Championships, are eligible.
- Must have competed as a member of one of the top 35 relay teams as listed on the indoor descending order list on TFRRS. In addition, any athletes not among the top 35 relay teams, but who participated in the relay at the Indoor or Outdoor National Championships, are eligible. Finally, any competing relay team member on an expanded descending order list to include 35 institutions (1 relay team per institution) is eligible.
Gonzalez held the 29th fastest time in the nation in the 400 meters this spring with a time of 57.05 seconds and also holds a 3.47 GPA as a Kinesiology major. For Hoffmann, the Millington, N.J., native was 30th in the nation in the 5,000 meters in 17:07.39 and held a 3.8 undergraduate GPA as an Exercise Science major.
McKeon ranked 42nd in the 3,000 steeplechase with a time of 9:20.17 and held a 3.63 undergraduate GPA in Kinesiology.
All three student-athletes won the Landmark title in their respective events.
For the women’s track and field program, Gonzalez and Hoffmann are the first two individuals to garner All-Academic Athlete accolades since Caroline Banas in 2018. On the men’s side, this marks the second straight year that a student-athlete has received the honor following Mark Merli in 2021.
Click the following links to view the full USTFCCCA men’s and women’s releases.
Original source can be found here.
