Complete USTFCCCA All-Academic List

WINONA, Minn. — For the second year in a row, Saint Mary's University's Sara Harstad (Chatfield, Minn.) earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honors, it was announced Wednesday.

And this time around, the Cardinal senior has some company, as fellow senior Brittany Kuehn (Sauk Rapids, Minn.) was also honored by the USTFCCCA.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic team, student-athletes must carry at least a 3.30 grade-point-average and have met the NCAA Division III automatic or provisional qualifying standard in their respective event.

Harstad and Kuehn are among 328 individuals — including 20 from the MIAC — tabbed as USTFCCCA All-Academic honorees.

Harstad, the school's record-holder in both the weight throw and hammer throw, made her first collegiate appearance at the NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships, qualifying with a school-record throw of 51.17 meters at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships.

A three-time All-MIAC performer, Harstad placed 20th in her first-ever national championships to cap a remarkable collegiate career. The USTFCCCA All-Academic honor is the second straight for Harstad, who has also earned Academic All-MIAC honors in both volleyball and track and field each of the last three seasons.

Wednesday's announcement also capped a stellar collegiate track and field career for Kuehn, who recorded an NCAA provisional-qualifying in her final collegiate regular-season race — shattering the school record with a time of 2:13.94 at the UW-La Crosse Last Chance Meet.

Keelie Finnel (Coe), Emma Dewart (Ithaca), Jennifer Gossels (Williams), and Kelly Lovett (Carleton) were named USTFCCCA Scholar Athletes of the Year. Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards are determined from among those who earned All-Academic status and placed highest in individual events at the most recent NCAA Championships. Separate awards are given to track athletes and field athletes for the indoor and outdoor seasons, resulting in four categories.

Wartburg led Division III teams with 13 All-Academic award winners, followed by Williams at 12, and UW-Eau Claire and Ithaca with 11.