PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference had eight student-athletes earn Academic All-District Honors, announced today by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
The award recognizes student-athletes from across the nation for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
Cincinnati and Tulsa each had two student-athletes earn all-district selections. For the Bearcats, senior Adrian Valles was named to the men’s District 5 team while senior Juliana Madzia was named to the women’s District 5 team. Valles posts a 3.97 GPA in industrial management and has won the pole vault at the last three indoor and outdoor championships. Madzia holds a 4.00 GPA in Neuroscience and left her mark in Cincinnati’s record book in the 5,000m and 10,000m run.
Tulsa seniors Kirk Smith and Clara Langley were named to the men’s and women’s District 7 team respectively. Smith holds a 4.00 GPA in mechanical engineering and was named a Rhodes Scholar. He is also a member of four consecutive cross country champion teams. Langley has a 4.00 GPA in philosophy and finished seventh in the 2016 American Cross Country Championship as well as winning the 2016 Cowboy Jamboree.
Joining Smith as a member of the men’s District 7 team is Houston’s Brian Barraza. Barraza earned a 3.77 GPA in Kinesiology and finished second in the 3,000m run at the American Indoor Track and Field Championships this year.
Olushola Olojo from Memphis and Pol Solanellas from East Carolina were both named to the District 3 team. Oojo, a junior, holds a 3.99 GPA in business economics and finished first in the triple jump in the 2017 American Indoor Track and Field Championships. Solanellas, a graduate student, boasts a 4.00 GPA in communications and finished seventh in the 1,500m run at the American Outdoor Track and Field Championships and fifth in the both the mile run and 800m at the American Indoor Championships this season.
Tulane’s Lauren Bartels was named to the District 6 team with a 3.99 GPA in chemistry. Bartles finished in the top-10 in both the 5,000m and 10,000m run at the 2017 American Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
First-team Academic All-District honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third team All-America honorees will be selected in June.