AUSTIN, Texas - For the first time in the history of the Carson-Newman track & field and cross country programs, three Eagle runners have garnered CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-America honors in a single season.
Distance runner Bekah White made her second straight third-team appearance to become the athletic department's 13th two-time Academic All-American, while distance runner Luke Greer and hurdler Caleb Agee both made their first appearances on the third team.
"At Carson-Newman our intent is to coach student athletes who are driven to be successful in the classroom and on the track," Carson-Newman Director of Track & Field David Needs said. "Bekah, Caleb and Luke exemplify the best of this goal. Their focus is a model for all of us to not just be great students but be student athletes creating a future for themselves. Their success on the track shows the same character in a desire to work hard and be complete."
The three awards bring Carson-Newman's overall Academic All-America haul in a single year to seven, the most in school history. Men's golfer Anthony Marcinelli, women's swimmer Mary Northcutt, men's swimmer Paden Duke and softball outfielder Abby Fiessinger were previously honored this year.
The accolade is the second academic honor for six-time All-American Luke Greer. He finished his undergraduate degree with a 3.67 GPA and carries a 4.0 in his master's program. Greer put a bow on his Carson-Newman career with a stellar showing at outdoor nationals. He earned All-America honors with fifth place finsh in the 10K run before closing his career with second team accolades and and 11th place finish in the 5K run.
Agee adds the academic honor to his SAC Scholar Athlete of the Year nod. Agee holds a 3.93 GPA as a biology major. He has been on the Carson-Newman Dean's List for three years, is a three-time SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll selection and was a Gold Scholar Eagle for two the last two years. He more than likely repeat his selection to those four lists as he moves on to his senior year.
Agee is the three-time winner in the 400-meter hurdles at the SAC Outdoor Championship and holds a league and school record time of 53.78 seconds in the event. He is also a three-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region in the 400-meter hurdles.
Finally, White added to her illustrious resume. She graduated from Carson-Newman with a 4.0 GPA. She is a two-time winner of the SAC's Elite 20 award. She competed in the 10K meter run turning in a 13th-place finish at 45:04.42, as well as the 5K meter run in 19:15.67 for 11th-place at the SAC Championships.