Four Skyhawks collect individual All-Academic awards
Tobin |
Fernandes |
Hannon |
Lastra |
USTFCCCA Announces 2017-18 All-Academic Teams and Individuals
EASTON, Mass. (August 3, 2018) – The Stonehill College women's track & field team has been recognized as a 2018 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II All-Academic Team, as announced by the organization. In addition, four 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 3.57 team GPA, was among the 132 women's teams and 84 men's teams in NCAA Division II to earn All-Academic Team status. This average is one of the top 10 GPAs awarded. The highest GPA of 3.61 was represented by Cedarville University. Stonehill matched averages with Minot State University and Michigan Technological University.
Individually, senior Alison Tobin (Hudson, Massachusetts/Hudson), juniors Krista Fernandes (Taunton, Massachusetts/Coyle and Cassidy) and Elizabeth Hannon (Franklin, Massachusetts/Bishop Feehan), and sophomore 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.
Senior Tobin wrapped up her career with the Skyhawks qualifying for both the indoor and outdoor NCAA Division II Championships bypassing the provisional mark in pole vault both seasons. The Hudson, Massachusetts native became the first woman field All American for Stonehill during outdoor season as she finished 11th clearing a height of 12 feet, 3 inches.
Over her career, Tobin has been named to the USTFCCCA All-East Region team for the pole vault three times and once for the 4x100-meter relay. During this past year, Tobin earned All-New England status in the pole vault and 4x100-meter relay as well. She cleared the best height in pole vault for both seasons this past year being named NE10 Champion, as well as being named champion in 2016, and assisted the 4x100-meter relay team to the school's first ever women's outdoor title, combining for four All-Conference honors. Tobin holds both the school indoor and outdoor pole vault records.
Fernandes, Hannon, and Lastra were part of the 4000-meter distance medley relay that bypassed the provisional mark to qualify for the NCAA Division II Indoor Championship this year. This was the fifth-straight year that Stonehill has sent a women's DMR team to nationals. The team climbed uphill all season reaching a seventh-place seeding on the performance list. They kicked off the season at the URI Sorlein Memorial Invitational with a time of 12:20.65 and wrapped up the season with a time of 11:39.90 at the BU Last Chance Meet, clocking in roughly four minutes off the school record time of 11:35.05. The quartet finished 12th at the NCAA Championship posting a time of 12:02.54.
Fernandes was tabbed on the NE10 Academic All-Conference team twice and the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team twice. The junior was also recognized by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) as she was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District™ I Women's Cross Country and Track & Field First Team. She also received the Division II ADA Academic Achievement Award in 2016. She has also been named to the USTFCCCA All-East Region team six times spreading her time among the 400-meter run, 4000-meter distance medley relay, and the 400-meter hurdles. At this year's indoor NE10 Championship, Fernandes earned three All-Conference honors running in the 400-meter, 4x400-meter relay, and the 4000-meter distance medley relay. The DMR finished as the champion, while the 4x400 placed second and the junior earned third in the 400-meter run.
Along with the DMR, Hannon also qualified for the indoor mile this past year with a time of 4:59.67 finishing 60th at the BU Last Chance Meet out of 249 competitors. She has collected five USTFCCCA All-East Region honors over her three years, while earning one All-New England recognition and eight NE10 All-Conference nods through her cross country and track & field time. Academically, she has been named to the NE10 Commissioner's and Athletic Director's Honor Roll, as well as collected her third USTFCCCA All-Academic Award and one Division II ADA Academic Award.
Rounding out the USTFCCCA All-Academic individual honors is sophomore Lastra who has received seven USTFCCCA All-East Region honors in her two years with the Skyhawks. This will be her third USTFCCCA All-Academic nod, while she has been tabbed on the NE10 Academic All-Conference team twice. Throughout the NE10 Championships, Lastra has garnered nine All-Conference accolades in her two years and has been named to the NE10 Commissioner's and Athletic Director's Honor Roll multiple times.
Stonehill completed a rare sweep of the NE10 women's cross country, indoor, and outdoor track & field Championships during the 2017-18 academic year for the third time in history. The Skyhawks captured their 16th overall and ninth- consecutive cross country title in October, before claiming their fourth indoor and third outdoor track & field titles in program history in February and May, respectively. Stonehill will open its cross country season with the Shawn M. Nassaney Cross Country Invitational at Bryant University on Saturday, September 8.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
