NEW ORLEANS – The Ursinus College men's track and field team was named an All-Academic Team by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) while Evan Giannetti and Griffin McMann received All-Academic Athlete recognition, the organization announced recently.
To earn All-Academic Team status, the cumulative grade-point average of all student-athletes who used a season of eligibility must be at least 3.1. The Bears earned a 3.15 GPA, marking the third consecutive season of All-Academic Team laurels under head coach Carl Blickle.
Kyle Berardi, Max Gadsden, Nick Galbraith, Giannetti, Marcos Maciel, Ed Martinez, Colin McCarty, McMann, Dylan Melby, Brandon Slaboda, Ken Sprankle, Steve Wilkins, Jesse Wun, and Adam Zucker were all named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll for the spring.
The men's track and field squad also placed two of its members on the All-Academic Athlete roster. McMann collected the award for a second straight year and was joined by fellow senior Giannetti on the prestigious list, which honors student-athletes who have maintained at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA and also rank among the top-50 individuals or top-35 relay units in the nation.
Already All-Mideast Region performers, Giannetti and McMann now add All-Academic Individual accolades to their stellar senior-year resumes.
Giannetti exploded onto the scene in his final season, running away with Centennial Conference gold in the javelin on the strength of a career-best throw of 194-4. That mark was enough to comfortably qualify for the NCAA outdoor championships, where he placed 11th as the first Bear to compete in the javelin at nationals in over three decades.
McMann turned in an historic campaign, earning most outstanding field performer honors at the Centennial Conference outdoor championships after claiming gold in the discus, hammer, and shot put. He attained all-region level in both the discus and shot put and shared Ursinus' most outstanding male athlete award.