NEW ORLEANS - All-Academic Team honors for the 2017-18 NCAA Division II Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field seasons were announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Thursday as Carson-Newman Track & Field were given honors on both the men's and women's teams.
In total, 216 teams were honored for their academic performance by the USTFCCCA. Breaking it down further, 132 of those were women's teams compared to 84 men's programs.
The C-N women's program posted a higher GPA which sat at a 3.34 average. The men's side held an average GPA of 3.08. It's the fourth straight year the women have earned the honor while the men have claimed it in three out of the last four.
"I believe this is a powerful statement by both our team as to their dedication to both academics and their sport," Coach David Needs stated. "We as coaches are blessed to know that our team culture is one of achievement and academic excellence."
Including the Scholar-Athletes of the Year, a total of 405 women earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors during the 2017-18 track & field seasons.
To qualify for USTFCCCA All-Academic honors, student-athletes must have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and have reached a provisional or automatic qualifying standard for the NCAA Championships in either the indoor or outdoor seasons.
The duo of Tori Gaul and Samantha Gudger earned honors following 2018 for the Eagles.
Gaul (Salisbury, N.C.) has claimed the award for the third consecutive season following a 10th-place finish in the pole vault at the 2018 Outdoor NCAA Championships for Second-team All-America. She is the only female in the history of the program in the Division II era to earn All-America status. The senior also earned Academic All-District honors from CoSIDA in May with a 3.93 GPA in Biology and Health Professions.
Gudger (Bristol, Tenn.) came off a 2018 year in which she was crowned the long jump champion at the SAC Outdoor Championships which also came with a fourth-place mark in the high jump the following day. The senior was also a 2018 Southeast Region Champion in the long jump clearing a distance of 5.87 meters in the final event of the outdoor season, which set a new school record and lifetime-best. Gudger held a 3.32 GPA during her final year at Mossy Creek.
Including the Scholar-Athletes of the Year, a total of 308 men earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors during the 2017-18 track & field seasons with the same standards applying with the women's side.
Kristofer Potts-Howard, Kieran Showler-Davis, and Tanner Stepp all earned individual All-Academic status by the USTFCCCA. It's the third-straight year Stepp has earned the honor with career-firsts for Potts-Howard and Showler-Davis.
Stepp (Jefferson City, Tenn.) was the lone men's Eagle to earn First-Team At-Large honors earlier this year holding a 3.69 GPA in accounting following his senior year. Stepp wrapped up a stellar C-N career following the 2018 NCAA Championships, his eighth appearance in his time at Mossy Creek attending Nationals each semester to go along with a National Championship in the indoor high jump in 2018.
Showler-Davis (Winchester, England) earned first-team All-America honors in the 100-meter dash following the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships for the Eagles all while holding a 3.40 GPA in Business Admin & Management.
Potts-Howard (Tullahoma, Tenn.) posted a GPA of 3.04 all while claiming the South Atlantic Conference Athlete of the Year following the indoor season. The junior jumper was also lauded All-Region honors by the USTFCCCA back in February.
"Those five individuals not only held strong GPA's but with the standard of qualifying for nationals in a competitive environment, it exemplifies the best of the best," Needs added.
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