MOREHEAD, Ky. – Coming off its most successful Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships in 15 years, the Morehead State track and field teams followed the lead of their cohorts on the cross country side and earned recognition as a United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team. It is the fourth straight year both squads were honored.
The two teams had a total cumulative grade-point average above a 3.0. The women boasted a 3.41, while the men notched a 3.28. To be recognized, all team members must have a combined cumulative career GPA above a 3.0 through the end of the spring semester.
The cross country clubs had GPAs of 3.43 (women) and 3.317 (men).
"Our team continues to put in the work each semester in the classroom. We continue to stress the importance of classwork and will push the importance even more this year," said MSU head coach
Clay Dixon. "We always look for strong academic student-athletes and that is exactly what this team is."
Both Eagle clubs experienced a slight drop in overall GPA from a year ago, when the women posted a 3.456 and the men collected a 3.353. The total number of Division I schools nationwide receiving the award also was down from 2023-24. There were 221 women's squads and 179 men's teams listed in 2024-25, as compared to 239 women and 181 men last year.
Since 2010, the MSU women have received All-Academic Team honors 14 times, with the men being recognized 11 times.
Morehead State was one of two Ohio Valley Conference schools to have both squads earning USTFCCCA awards. Southeast Missouri, the conference champion for both genders, led the way. The Redhawk women produced a 3.632 GPA, while their male counterparts had a 3.467. Eastern Illinois was the other school with two honorees. The Panther ladies had a 3.46, with the men at 3.30. SIUE's women (3.426) and Western Illinois' women (3.38) also made the list.
MSU fared well compared to other area schools. Austin Peay's women (3.37), Cincinnati's men (3.325), Cincinnati's women (3.5457), Eastern Kentucky's men (3.15), Eastern Kentucky's women (3.43), Indiana's men (3.33), Indiana's women (3.47), IU-Indianapolis' women (3.45), Jacksonville State's women (3.47), Kentucky's men (3.274), Kentucky's women (3.274), Louisville's men (3.073), Louisville's women (3.612), Marshall's men (3.30), Marshall's women (3.35), Murray State's women (3.27), Northern Kentucky's men (3.18), Northern Kentucky's women (3.45), Ohio State's men (3.252), Ohio State's women (3.331), Tennessee's men (3.15), Tennessee's women (3.64), Wright State's men (3.28), Wright State's women (3.46), Xavier-Ohio's men (3.494) and Xavier-Ohio's women (3.691) also made the cut.
For the second straight year, the Eagle men led the Commonwealth's track and field programs in GPA.
Creighton's men (3.79) and Utah's women (3.813) had the highest respective GPAs in Division I.
Southern California's men's and Geogia's women were recognized as the Division I National Scholar Teams of the Year for the indoor season, while Texas A&M (men) and Georgia (women) took home the honors for the Division I outdoor campaign. Ten individuals received a Scholar Athlete of the Year Award for Division I, the organization's highest distinction for a student-athlete.
The USTFCCCA also released its list of All-Academic Athletes, which included among its requirements qualifying for the NCAA First Round or Championships. Because no Eagle did, MSU student-athletes were ineligible for that award. Thirteen individuals from the OVC were honored.
At the end of the spring semester, nine women and four men who were on the official roster for the 2024-25 track and field team posted a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5. That group included:
Taylor Allen,
Lydia Bauer,
Christiana Brittian,
Megan Bush,
Meredith Campbell,
Lauren Gooderson,
Olivia Miles, Liam Pardo,
Lucy Singleton,
Abby Taylor,
Keghan Thompson,
Jacob Vogelpohl and Aiden Whitsell.
The OVC will be releasing its 2024-25 academic awards at the beginning of August. Five Eagles (Allen, Bush, Toby Cook, Kyle Embry and Vogelpohl) earned OVC Medals of Honor for posting a 4.0 GPA in 2023-24. Several more earned a spot on the 2023-24 Commissioner's Honor Roll, which includes student-athletes with at least a 3.25 for the year. Those individuals were: Allen,
Bella Almodovar,
Brady Baker, Brittian, Noah Bunting, Bush, Cook, Cloe Copas, Embry,
Hope Harris,
Kaylyn Holman,
Austin Montgomery, Alex Murray, Singleton, Kyler Stewart, Laikin Tarlton, Taylor, Thompson, Vogelpohl,
Garrett West and Whitsell.
Vogelpohl graduated this spring with a 4.0. He was the lone individual on either team to post a perfect GPA.
