Bears Land Eight on Southland All-Academic Teams
 
FRISCO, Texas – The Southland Conference announced the 2020 Men's and Women's Track & Field Academic All-Conference teams on Tuesday. The University of Central Arkansas men's track & field team led the SLC with five honorees, while the women's team collected three honors.
 
Jared Hamilton, Alex Hanson, and Zachary Jewell earned their second all-academic nods, while Zac Bitton and Hunter Henderson collected their first honors. On the women's side, Ajah Criner and Erin Woodward earned their second all-academic accolades, while Gracie Hyde picked up her first honor.
 
Bitton recorded a personal-best score of 4,702 in the heptathlon at the Southland Championships and placed ninth. He finished the 60m and shot put events in sixth place, which were his top two events at the meet. He produced career-best marks in the 60m (7.24), 60m hurdles (9.37), and the long jump (6.68m (21-11.0)) during the conference championships. In the classroom, Bitton has a GPA of 3.72 in pursuit of a degree in business management and marketing.
 
Hamilton finished sixth in the mile at the Southland Indoor Championships. He was a member of the distance medley relay team that placed fifth as well as the 4x400 relay that finished 12th at the Southland Indoor Championships. He produced a career-best run of 9:06.18 in the 3,000m at the Jayhawk Classic. He clocked a personal-best time of 1:54.64 in the 800m at the Samford Clash. Notched a season-best effort of 4:17.94 in the mile at the Meyo Invitational. Hamilton is a health professions and related programs major and has a 3.70 GPA.
 
Hanson produced a third-place finish in the 800m and earned Third-Team All-Conference at the Southland Indoor Championships. He was a member of the DMR team that finished fifth at the conference meet. He produced a career-best time of 4:12.70 in the mile at the BSC Panther Icebreaker. He notched a season-best mark of 1:51.70 in the 800m at the Meyo Invitational and had a season-best effort of 9:10.51 in the 3,000m at the Jayhawk Classic. Hanson holds a 3.49 GPA in his pursuit of a degree in business management and marketing.
 
Henderson placed ninth in the mile at the Southland Indoor Championships with a run of 4:26.02. He added a fifth-place finish as a member of the DMR team at the conference meet. He clocked a season-best time of 4:18.45 in the mile at the Meyo Invitational. Henderson is a health related knowledge and skills major and has a perfect 4.0 GPA.
 
Jewell was the 60m champion at the Southland Indoor Championships with a career-best time of 6.75 and set the UCA record in the process. He added another program record in the 200m with his personal-best run of 20.98 as he finished second at the championships. He earned First-Team and Second-Team All-SLC for his performances at the championship meet. He added a victory in the 60m at the Meyo Invitational. Jewell is a biological and biomedical sciences major and has a GPA of 3.63.
 
Criner finished second in the 200m at the Southland Indoor Championships and Second-Team All-SLC for her efforts. She clocked a career-best time of 23.91 in the 200m prelims at the conference meet. She notched a fifth-place run in the 60m finals at the SLC meet. In the prelims of the 60m, she produced a personal-best time of 7.52. She won the 60m at the Samford Clash and was a member of the DMR team that won at the Jayhawk Classic. Criner is a health professions and related programs major and has a 3.31 GPA.
 
Hyde earned Second-Team All-SLC in the 3,000m with her second-place finish at the Southland Championships. She recorded a career-best time of 17:33.47 and placed eighth in the 5,000m at the Southland Championships. She won the mile at the Gorilla Classic with a personal-best run of 4:54.32. She added a victory in the 3,000m at the Meyo Invitational with a career-best mark of 9:47.64. She was a member of the DMR team that won at the Jayhawk Classic. Hyde is a health professions and related programs major and has a perfect 4.0 GPA.
 
Woodward finished ninth in the mile at the Southland Championships. She added a 15th-place finish in the 3,000m at the conference meet. She recorded a personal-best time of 10:00.31 in the 3,000m at the Gorilla Classic where she finished second. She produced a season-best mark of 5:05.08 in the mile at the Meyo Invitational. She was a member of the DMR team that won at the Jayhawk Classic. Woodward holds a perfect 4.0 GPA and is a health professions and related programs major.
 
To be eligible for the academic all-conference student-athletes must have a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) through the semester prior to the sports' championship and completed at least ONE full academic year at the nominating institution prior to the season in which the nomination occurs (true freshmen and ineligible athletic transfers are not eligible). The all-academic teams are voted on by a head coach, sports information director and academic/compliance staff member from each Southland Conference institution.
 
From the Coach – Interim Head Coach Beau Theriot
"We as a program have dealt with our fair share of adversity throughout the season, but when things got difficult it was great to see our athletes buckle down to get the academic work completed. To see seniors Alex, Jared, Zac, Zach, Ajah and Erin earn honors, along with sophomores Hunter and Gracie really speaks volumes. We are extremely proud of their hard work and determination they showed in prioritizing their academics."


2020 Southland Conference Men's Track & Field All-Academic Team

Name		School		Cl.		GPA		Major
Blaze Brownlow3		Abilene Christian		Sr.		3.77		Financial Management
Ross Dean		Abilene Christian		Jr.		4.0		Financial Management
Zac Bitton		Central Arkansas		Sr.		3.72		Business Management & Marketing
Jared Hamilton2		Central Arkansas		Sr.		3.70		Health Professions & Related Programs
Alex Hanson2		Central Arkansas		Sr.		3.49		Business Management & Marketing
Hunter Henderson		Central Arkansas		So.		4.0		Health Related Knowledge & Skills
Zachary Jewell2		Central Arkansas		Sr.		3.63		Biological & Biomedical Sciences
Scott Boon		Houston Baptist		So.		3.76		International Business
Christos Zachariou2		Houston Baptist		Sr.		3.96		Psychology
Jordan Cherin2		UIW		Sr.		3.96		Computer Information Systems
Matthew Hernandez		UIW		Jr.		3.57		Accounting
Rodney Littlejohn3		UIW		Gr.		3.93		Kinesiology
Matthew Arnold*^2		Lamar		Gr.		3.68		English
Jordan Rowe		Lamar		Gr.		3.90		Kinesiology
Joey Croft		McNeese		So.		3.83		HHP – Sports Wellness & Management
Luke Horgan		McNeese		Sr.		3.50		Marketing
Nemanja Koviljac3		McNeese		Sr.		4.0		Chemical Engineering
Josh Raphael		McNeese		Jr.		4.0		Mass Communication
Dustin Worley		Nicholls		So.		3.83		Chemistry
Marco Arevalo		Northwestern State		So.		3.51		Business Administration
Clayton Fritsch2		Sam Houston State		Jr.		3.25		Construction Management
Cade Skuza		Sam Houston State		Sr.		3.85		Construction Management
Austin Zirkel		Sam Houston State		Jr.		3.91		Criminal Justice
Gerald Coleman2		Southeastern Louisiana		Sr.		3.01		Sports Management
Ricardo Klotz		Southeastern Louisiana		So.		3.30		Psychology
Branson Ellis		Stephen F. Austin		So.		3.15		Ag Engineering Technology
Bjoern Adden2		Texas A&M-Corpus Christi		Sr.		3.97		Business Management
Colton Cohea2		Texas A&M-Corpus Christi		Sr.		3.71		Mechanical Engineering
Zachary Seaman		Texas A&M-Corpus Christi		So.		3.94		Business
Isaac Vargas		Texas A&M-Corpus Christi		Sr.		3.80		Engineering

2020 Southland Conference Women's Track & Field All-Academic Team

Name		School		Cl.		GPA		Major
Irene Akwitti3		Abilene Christian		Sr.		3.71		Nursing
Annina Brandenburg2		Abilene Christian		Sr.		3.73		Marketing
Briahna Gerlach2		Abilene Christian		Sr.		3.64		Social Work
Zoe Spinn		Abilene Christian		Jr.		3.92		Nursing
Taylor Tolen		Abilene Christian		Sr.		3.67		Kinesiology
Mackenzie West		Abilene Christian		Gr.		3.00		Nutrition
Ajah Criner2		Central Arkansas		Sr.		3.31		Health Professions & Related Programs
Gracie Hyde		Central Arkansas		So.		4.0		Health Related Knowledge & Skills
Erin Woodward2		Central Arkansas		Sr.		4.0		Health Professions & Related Programs
Kaitlin Smith2		Houston Baptist		Jr.		3.97		Kinesiology
Jemira Thomlinson		Houston Baptist		Sr.		3.26		Interdisciplinary Studies
Alia Henderson		UIW		So.		3.75		Government
Madison Henry		UIW		Jr.		4.0		Management
Alisa Novosad		UIW		So.		4.0		Rehabilitative Sciences
Katherine Ramirez		UIW		R-Sr.		3.50		Business Administration
Julie Emmerson		Lamar		Gr.		4.0		Kinesiology
Alanna Arvie3		McNeese		Sr.		4.0		Biology – Pre-med.
Brentney Carroll		McNeese		Sr.		4.0		Graduate Studies
Aleyah Donald2		McNeese		Sr.		4.0		Criminal Justice
Ciara Gilroy		McNeese		So.		4.0		HHP – Pre-Physical Therapy
Malayia Jedkins		McNeese		So.		4.0		Nursing
Arina Kleshchukova		New Orleans		Jr.		3.71		Interdisciplinary Studies
Omo Oboh		Nicholls		So.		3.18		Nursing
Annemarie Broussard		Northwestern State		So.		3.70		Health & Exercise Science
Natashia Jackson		Northwestern State		Sr.		3.00		Psychology
Brooke Petkovich2		Northwestern State		Sr.		4.0		Health & Exercise Science
Jasmyn Steels3		Northwestern State		Gr.		3.25		Sports Administration
Sandy Clarkin		Sam Houston State		Jr.		3.94		Kinesiology
Rebeca Gonzalez		Sam Houston State		Sr.		4.0		Health Care Administration
Kaylee Bizzell		Stephen F. Austin		Sr.		3.50		Nursing
Claire Crone		Stephen F. Austin		Jr.		3.97		Mathematics
Mallory Dotson		Stephen F. Austin		Jr.		4.0		Kinesiology
Avery Ellis-Byerly		Stephen F. Austin		Jr.		4.0		Kinesiology
Kelsey Ramirez2		Stephen F. Austin		Jr.		3.86		Kinesiology
LaSean Davis		Stephen F. Austin		Jr.		3.17		Kinesiology
Allyson Girard		Texas A&M-Corpus Christi		Sr.		3.49		Biomedical Science

* Automatic selection
² Two-time all-academic selection
³ Three-time all-academic selection
^{^} Google Cloud Academic All-District selection

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