The American Athletic Conference had five student-athletes earn Academic All-America
® Track & Field/Cross Country honors, as selected by the 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. The American garnered 16 CoSIDA Academic All-America honors this year, the most in league history.
Cincinnati and Tulsa each had student-athletes earn First Team Academic All-America honors. For the Bearcats, senior Adrian Valles was named to the men’s team while senior Juliana Madzia was named to the women’s team. Valles posted a 3.97 GPA in industrial management and has won the pole vault at the last three American indoor and outdoor championships. He was also the runner-up in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. Madzia earned a 4.00 GPA in Neuroscience and left her mark in Cincinnati’s record book in the 5,000m and 10,000m run.
Tulsa senior Kirk Smith also posted First Team Academic All-America honors. Smith maintained a 4.00 GPA in mechanical engineering and was named a Rhodes Scholar. He was also a member of four consecutive cross country champion teams.
Houston’s Brian Barraza earned Second Team Academic All-American honors, while Memphis' Olushola Olojo was selected to the Third Team. 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. Oloji, a junior, held a 3.99 GPA in business economics and finished first in the triple jump in the 2017 American Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Of the 45
Academic All-America® Division I Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team members, 26 have grade-point averages of 3.9 or higher, including nine who have a perfect 4.0 G.P.A.
Of the 46
Academic All-America® Division I Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team members, 34 have grade-point averages of 3.9 or higher including 14 who have a perfect 4.0 G.P.A.