It was announced on Thursday that three University of Redlands track & field women were named to the 2009-10 ESPN The Magazine/College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-District® teams for the College Division. Junior Kelsey Bermudez (La Verne, CA) landed on the First Team, while junior Kortney Watring (Riverside, CA) and junior Mackenzie Smith (Hoquiam, WA) garnered Second-Team plaudits.
Bermudez gains her inaugural CoSIDA Academic honor with a First-Team nod. She boasts a cumulative GPA of 3.83 as a History and Liberal Studies double major. During the 2010 campaign, she developed into one of the top pole vaulters in NCAA Division III by clearing a provisional qualifying mark of 12' 0 ½", which also reset her previous program record at Redlands. Bermudez played a significant role in the Bulldogs' 2010 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) title by winning the pole vault championship for the first time in her career. This three-time Redlands Scholar-Athlete owns five All-SCIAC citations during her three seasons of competition.
By gaining First-Team honors, Bermudez now advances to the national ballot for possible Academic All-America recognition.
Following last season's Second-Team laurel, Watring gains back-to-back accolades from CoSIDA with this year's accolade. This English Literature major offers an impressive cumulative GPA of 3.92. During the 2010 track & field season, she provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the triple jump with a leap of 38' 2 ¼", which currently ranks second all-time at Redlands. Earlier this season, she won the conference title in this event while helping the Bulldogs recapture the coveted SCIAC crown. Also a three-time Redlands Scholar-Athlete, she boasts six All-SCIAC plaudits to her career so far, earning the honor in the long and triple jumps.
Rounding out Redlands' representatives on the Academic All-District teams, Smith earns her inaugural award from CoSIDA while owning a cumulative GPA of 3.76 as a Mathematics major. This three-time conference javelin champion finished seventh at the 2010 NCAA Championships earlier this season, bringing her All-American laurels to three in her career. Her season-best mark in the javelin of 141' 9" at the SCIAC Championships ranks third all-time at Redlands. She also excels in the high jump, taking second at the final conference meet. In addition, this three-time Redlands Scholar-Athlete owns a SCIAC crown as a member of the 2009-10 Bulldog women's basketball team.
The current members of CoSIDA nominate and vote on the Academic All-District teams, which require a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30 and at least 50% participation during the current season.
For a complete list of the awardees, please log onto www.cosida.com.