It was announced earlier this week that the University of Redlands track & field program received various team and individual academic honors from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA).
The Bulldog women gained the NCAA Division III All-Academic Team Award with a combined cumulative grade-point average of 3.56, which more than exceeded the minimum standard of 3.1. Redlands lands among 106 women's program to achieve this honor.
The men also garnered recognition as a team with a cumulative GPA of 3.22. The Bulldogs joined 67 other institutions that were honored with the USTFCCA All-Academic Team award.
Individually, junior hurdler/sprinter Tim Hoesterey (La Quinta, CA), senior thrower Richard Valenti (Palm Desert, CA), and freshman sprinter Daniel Wallengren (Calabasas, CA) garnered the USTFCCA All-Academic award. In addition, four women landed among the best academically, as junior pole vaulter Kelsey Bermudez (La Verne, CA), freshman sprinter Samantha Rivera (Thousand Oaks, CA), junior thrower/jumper Mackenzie Smith (Hoquiam, WA), and junior jumper Kortney Watring (Riverside, CA) all gained this award as well.
To individually qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher and have met either the NCAA Division III Indoor or Outdoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard in their respective event.
Hoesterey and Wallengren both contributed to the 4x400m Relay's provisional qualifying time of 3:15.31 that was recorded at the Occidental Invite. Upon conclusion of the 2009-10 academic year, Hoesterey posted a GPA of 3.562 as a Business Administration major, while Wallengren completed his first two semesters at Redlands with a 3.438 GPA.
Valenti gained a provisional qualifying mark in the Discus Throw with his heave of 156'8" at the SCIAC Multi-Dual No. 2 in March. Earlier this May, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History, boasting a cumulative GPA of 3.489.
During the 2010 track & field campaign, Bermudez 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. Academically, she owns a cumulative GPA of 3.83 as a History and Liberal Studies double major.
Rivera helped the 4x100m Relay shatter the school record with a provisional qualifying time of 48.36 seconds at the Occidental Invite. She also contributed to the 4x400m Relay's improvement upon its provisional cut and program standard with a 3:53.51 showing, which was exactly a second and a half faster than its previous record-setting performance. This Psychology major provided a cumulative GPA of 3.625 during her inaugural year at Redlands.
Smith muscled out the eighth-best qualifying standard for the Javelin Throw with a winning toss of 141' 9" at the SCIAC Championships. She competed at the national meet for the third time in her career and gained her third All-America nod of her career with a seventh-place finish. She recorded her season-best mark of 142'9". Smith offers a cumulative GPA of 3.76 as a Mathematics major.
Watring provisionally qualified in the Triple Jump with a leap of 38' 2 ¼" at the Occidental Invite. This impressive mark currently ranks second all-time in the Redlands history books. As an English Literature major, she leads the Bulldog recipients of this award with an outstanding cumulative GPA of 3.92.
Following these awards to the Redlands track & field teams, Bulldog Athletics has gained academic recognition to five different programs since July 15.