Five Skyhawks collect individual All-Academic awards

EASTON, Mass. (August 4, 2017) – The Stonehill College women's track & field team has been recognized as a 2017 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II All-Academic Team, as announced by the organization last week. In addition, five Stonehill student-athletes earned individual All-Academic awards from the USTFCCCA.

In order to qualify for All-Academic Team awards, a squad must post a cumulative team grade point average of 3.00 or higher. Stonehill, which registered a 3.43 team GPA, was among the 115 women's teams and 76 men's teams in NCAA Division II to earn All-Academic Team status. Individually, senior Aisha McAdams (North Kingstown, Rhode Island/North Kingstown), junior Emily Knox (Worcester, Massachusetts/Notre Dame Academy), sophomores Krista Fernandes (Taunton, Massachusetts/Coyle and Cassidy) and Courtney Daggett (Attleboro, Massachusetts/Attleboro), and freshman Anna Lastra (Bridgton, Maine/Fryeburg Academy) collected All-Academic Awards from USTFCCCA. To be eligible for this honor, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or higher and have reached a provisional or automatic qualifying standard for the NCAA Championships in either indoor or outdoor seasons.

McAdams, who recently graduated with a degree in communications, earns her fifth-career USTFCCCA All-Academic award. During the indoor season, she was part of the distance medley relay team that bypassed the provisional mark with a time of 11:39.41 at the New England Indoor Championships. McAdams ran the 800-meter leg to send the relay team to the NCAA Division II Indoor Championship.

The North Kingstown, Rhode Island native has been named on the USTFCCCA All-East Region team nine times in her career. She was also named to the NE10 Commissioner's Honor Roll seven times and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll four times. As a junior, McAdams received the NE10 Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence award and Academic All-Conference Honors.

Knox clocked in at 17:11.20 in the 5000-meter run at the NE10 Outdoor Championships this year, bypassing the NCAA provisional mark and taking her first NE10 outdoor title of her career. This marks the juniors' second time bypassing the 5000-meter provisional time and third time overall.

The Worcester, Massachusetts native has been named to the USTFCCCA All-East Region team five times and the NE10 All-Conference team four times. Knox was also tabbed on the NE10 Commissioner's Honor Roll four times and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll two semesters. She has also been recognized on the All-New England team during her sophomore year.

Fernandes also assisted the distance medley relay team to a NCAA appearance, running the 400-meter leg of the race posting a time of 11:39.41 to send them to Birmingham, Alabama.

The Taunton, Massachusetts native has been named to the USTFCCCA All-East Region team twice in her career. Fernandes has also been tabbed on the NE10 Commissioner's Honor Roll three times and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll once.

Daggett hit a mark of 5 feet, 5.25 inches in the high jump at the URI Sorlein Invitational during the indoor season finishing third at the meet. This mark bypassed the NCAA provisional mark and tied her previous school record. She now holds the indoor and outdoor school records in the high jump.

Daggett has been named to the USTFCCCA All-East Region team four times in her career. The Attleboro, Massachusetts native was also tabbed on the All-NE10 honors and All-New England list as a freshman. During the indoor season of her freshman year, she was named the NE10 Indoor Field Rookie of the Year after finishing second at the championship. Academically, the sophomore has been named to the NE10 Commissioner's Honor Roll three semesters and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll for one semester.

Rounding out the USTFCCCA All-Academic individual honors is freshman Lastra, who ran the opening 1200-meter leg of the distance medley relay team that posted a NCAA provisional best time of 11:39.41 at the NEICAAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. She competed in her first-career NCAA Track and Field Championship posting 13^th overall with a time of 11:46.65.

The Bridgton, Maine native was tabbed on the NE10 All-Conference team three times in her first year as a Skyhawk, which included a 10^th-place finish at the NE10 Cross Country Championships, two first-place finishes with the 4x800-meter relay at the indoor and outdoor NE10 Championships, and two second-place marks in the mile and 1000-meter run at the indoor NE10 Championships. Lastra also received her first USTFCCCA All-East Region honor during the indoor season running the 3000-meter run and DMR. Academically, the freshman was named to the NE10 Commissioner's Honor Roll for both semesters and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll for one semester.

Stonehill completed a rare sweep of the NE10 women's cross country, indoor, and outdoor track & field Championships during the 2016-17 academic year. The Skyhawks captured their 15^th overall and eighth- consecutive cross country title in October, before claiming their third indoor and second outdoor track & field titles in program history in February and May, respectively. Stonehill will open its cross country season with the Shacklette Invitational on Saturday, September 2 hosted by Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire.

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