Earlier today it was announced by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) that seven members of the University of Redlands women's track & field program garnered All-Academic status. Seniors Kelsey Bermudez (La Verne, CA), Mackenzie Smith (Hoquiam, WA) and Kortney Watring (Riverside, CA), along with junior Emily Canales (Redlands, CA), sophomores Ashley Lively (Las Vegas, NV) and Samantha Rivera (Thousand Oaks, CA), plus freshman Hannah Minderhout (Santa Monica, CA), represented the Bulldogs proudly for their athletic and academic accomplishments.
To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athletes must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 and have met an NCAA automatic or provisional qualifying marks in an individual or relay event. Participation in an NCAA Championship also fulfills the athletic component of All-Academic qualification.
Bermudez wrapped up her U of R career as the program's top all-time pole-vaulter. She reset her own program record on more than one occasion during the 2011 season. She advanced to the NCAA Championships for the first time and recorded a ninth-place finish with a height of 11' 7.25" for her 10th mark over 11 feet during the season. A four-time Redlands Scholar-Athlete and Dean's List member, she graduated with a 3.81 cumulative GPA as a Liberal Studies and History double-major.
This past season Smith became the first four-time All-American in the same event in Redlands track & field history. The veteran javelin thrower finished eighth at the NCAA Championships, tossing the spear 132' 11". In addition, she captured the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) title in the Javelin as well finished as the runner-up in the high jump (5' 1.75"). Another four-time UR Scholar-Athlete, Smith was honored as the Frank Serrao Senior Female Student-Athlete of the Year at Redlands, and was nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year. She boasts a cumulative GPA of 3.74 as Mathematics major that has landed on the Dean's List seven times in her four-year career.
A four-year veteran jumper for the Maroon and Gray, Watring capped off her Bulldog tenure by advancing to the NCAA Championships for the first time. With a 10th-place showing in the Triple Jump (37' 5"), she just missed out on notching All-America honors. Accumulating a 3.93 GPA as an English Literature major, this four-time UR Scholar-Athlete and Dean's List member also boasts the honor of being the recipient of the Irene Smith and Town & Gown scholarships.
After transferring to Redlands, Canales found herself right at home, excelling in long-distance events, especially in the steeplechase. In her first Bulldog campaign, she tallied 10 top-five finishes, including three victories. After clocking in a second-place finish at the conference championships, she registered a season-best time of 11:05.84 and reset the school's record books. This Communicative Disorders major earned an impressive 4.0 GPA this year, claiming Redlands Scholar-Athlete accolades in the process.
The pair of sophomores, Lively and Rivera, shined throughout the 2011 season and collected NCAA All-America honors for their efforts in the 4x100m relay. Lively was a versatile asset to the squad by competing in several events, including sprints, hurdles and the pole vault. A Psychology major, Lively produced a 3.15 GPA. Rivera made significant strides in her second season, taking home the SCIAC 200m title as well as qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the 400m. A dual-sport student-athlete, she sports a 3.47 overall GPA.
Minderhout played many roles for the Bulldogs en route to accumulating 16 top-five marks and three wins while participating in the 100m, 200m, Javelin, Pole Vault and the relays. In concluding her first year at Redlands, Minderhout holds a solid 3.50 GPA as a Business Administration major.
In additional news, student-athletes from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, Occidental College and Whittier College represented the SCIAC on the All-Academic team.
For a complete list of the All-Academic Team please visit… http://www.ustfccca.org/2011/08/featured/diii-track-four-named-as-scholar-athletes-of-the-year