Five collect individual All-Academic awards
2020 USTFCCCA All-Academic team and individual awards
Lastra |
Freeman |
Callahan |
Curtin |
Anderle |
EASTON, Mass. (February 7, 2020) – The Stonehill College women's cross country team has been recognized as a 2020 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II All-Academic Team, as announced by the organization. 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 3.48 team GPA, was among the 148 women's teams and 120 men's teams in NCAA Division II to earn All-Academic Team status. The highest GPA on the men's side was a 3.75 by Gannon University and on the women's side Northwest Nazarene University led the way with a 3.85 GPA. This is the program's eighth-straight team award.
Individually, seniors Anna Lastra, Alyssa Freeman, and Jordan Callahan, and juniors Samantha Curtin and Sophia Anderle all 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 finish in the top-30 percent of their respective regional championship meet, among other qualifiers.
Lastra, with her 3.85 grade point average in the classroom and 4.0 GPA this fall semester, as she studies health science, collects her seventh USTFCCCA All-Academic award. Most recently she received her sixth Academic All-Conference honor and third for cross country. The senior posted three top-20 finishes in five meets this season, including a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Division II East Region Cross Country Championships, as she earned her third cross country All-East Region Team award. The Bridgton, Maine native earned her fourth cross country NE10 All-Conference honor as she was tabbed on the third team, with a 19th-place finish. She also went on to compete in her fourth NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships. She has also earned two Division II ADA Academic Achievement Awards.
Freeman, who is concentrating in psychology and criminology, has averaged a 3.60 grade point average in her career as a Skyhawk. With this award, she has combined for four USTFCCCA All-Academic honors, with three of them for cross country. This season she earned three top-30 finishes in the six meets she competed in. These marks included two sixth-place finishes, one at the DII/III Challenge and one at the NCAA Division II East Regional Cross Country Championship, which was a career best mark at the meet. During her sophomore year, she received the Division II ADA Academic Achievement Award and has been named to the NE10 Academic and Athletic Director's Honor Rolls multiple times. The Billerica, Massachusetts native earned three USTFCCCA All-East Region honors in her four years with the cross country program and two NE10 All-Conference recognitions.
Callahan, who is studying biology and has averaged a 3.81 GPA in her career, earns her first-career USTFCCCA All-Academic award after tallying three top-20 marks this season out of seven meets ran. She ran a career-best finish at the NE10 Championship, NCAA East Regional Championship, and NCAA Championship. She kicked off championship season with an eighth-place finish at the NE10 Championship for her second-career All-Conference honor, followed by a 10th-place finish at the East Regional Championship for her second-career All-East Region team recognition. The Plymouth, Massachusetts native competed in her second NCAA Championship as well. Callahan has been named to the NE10 Academic and Athletic Director's Honor Rolls multiple times and earned two Division II ADA Academic Achievement Awards. This past summer, the senior was selected for Stonehill's Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program, where she worked with Robert Harbert, Assistant Professor of Biology, on Monitoring Biodiversity from Aquatic Environmental DNA.
Curtin, who is majoring in philosophy and minoring in economics as she has averaged a 3.79 GPA in her career, collects her third cross country USTFCCCA All-Academic award. The junior posted two top-five finishes this season out of five meets, including a career best finish at the NCAA Division II East Region Cross Country Championships. The Plymouth, Massachusetts native was named USTFCCCA East Region Athlete of the Year following a first-place finish at the Regionals, where she was the fourth Skyhawk to earn the East Region title in five years. She also earned her third USTFCCCA All-East Region honor and NE10 All-Conference accolade after finishing third at the NE10 Championships. This past summer, Curtin was selected to the Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program. Along with Jessica Vining '19 and Edward McGushin, Professor of Philosophy, on Michael Foucault's (1926-1984) Unwritten History of Dreams, Dreaming, and Dream Interpretation. Curtin native has seen her name on the Dean's list, the NE10 Academic Honor Roll with both Academic Excellence and Academic Distinction, and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll six times.
Anderle earns her first USTFCCCA All-Academic honor with her 3.71 GPA as she majors in biology. The Peabody, Massachusetts native competed in six meets this season and earned three top-30 marks, including a career-best finish at the East Region Championship as she finished 19th overall with her first-career USTFCCCA All-East Region honor. She matched her career-best mark at the NE10 Championship, crossing the finish line 12th for her third NE10 All-Conference honor. She has been named to the NE10 Academic Honor Roll with Academic Distinction, the Athletic Director's Honor Roll, and received the Division II ADA Academic Achievement Award her sophomore year.
Stonehill concluded the season with their 20th-straight appearance at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, after they earned their 16th NCAA Division II East Region Championship. To get to the East Region Championship, the Skyhawks earned their 18th Northeast-10 Conference Championship and 11th-straight title, as they women have now 13-straight Championships, including cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field. Over the past 19 NE10 Championships, the Stonehill women have won 18.
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