Seven Canes Named All-ACC Academic for Outdoor Track & Field
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Seven members of the University of Miami track and field program received All-ACC Academic honors following the 2017 outdoor track and field season, as announced by the conference office on Wednesday.
Six women and one man make up the seven Canes honored by the conference for their excellence in academics and athletics. Of the seven Canes honored, four were ACC champions and all seven were All-ACC performers. Additionally, four of the honorees also earned All-ACC Academic recognition for the 2017 indoor track and field season.
“We emphasize the importance of excelling in academics and athletics, and these seven student-athletes are great examples of that,” Miami director of track and field/cross country Amy Deem said. “I am proud of their dedication to their studies and their sport and glad they received recognition for their hard work.”
Carolyn Brown was a member of the Hurricanes’ ACC champion 4x100m relay team. The sophomore, who is majoring in psychology, earned All-America honorable mention as part of Miami’s 4x100m relay team that reached the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Brown helped Miami set a school, conference and ACC Championship record in the 4x100m with a time of 43.36 seconds. This is her second All-ACC Academic honor.
Brittny Ellis helped the Hurricanes win gold and set an ACC Championship record in the women’s 4x400m relay and earned a silver medal in the 400m at the 2017 ACC Outdoor Championships. A qualifier for the NCAA East preliminary in the 400m, Ellis earned First Team All-America honors as part of the 4x400m relay that finished seventh at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. A sophomore nursing major, Ellis is a four-time All-ACC Academic selection.
Kristina Knott was a member of the Hurricanes’ record-setting ACC champion 4x100m relay team. The junior, who is majoring in advertising, earned All-America honorable mention as part of Miami’s 4x100m relay team that reached the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Knott helped Miami set a school, conference and ACC Championship record in the 4x100m with a time of 43.36 seconds. This is her second All-ACC Academic honor after receiving recognition following the 2017 indoor season.
Ebony Morrison earned Second Team All-America honors in the 100m hurdles, after finishing 14th in the event at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The senior hurdler holds the school record in the 100m hurdles at 12.76 seconds and finished fourth in the event at the ACC Outdoor Championships. A motion picture production major, Morrison is a four-time All-ACC Academic honoree.
Zakiya Rashid won a bronze medal in the women’s discus at the 2017 ACC Outdoor Championships and qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary in the event. The sophomore ranks third in school history in the women’s discus with a mark of 54.10m. An exercise physiology major, Rashid earned her first All-ACC Academic honor.
Anna Runia was the 2017 ACC champion in the women’s 400m hurdles and was a member of Miami’s ACC champion 4x400m relay team. The sophomore, who is double-majoring in painting and computer science, earned First Team All-America honors as part of the 4x400m relay that finished seventh at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and represented Miami at the NCAA East Preliminary in the 400m hurdles. Runia is a three-time All-ACC Academic recipient.
Isaiah Taylor finished fourth in the men’s 100m at the ACC outdoor Championships, running a personal-best time of 10.40 seconds. The sophomore, who is majoring in public relations, earned Second Team All-ACC honors and qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary in the men’s 100m. Taylor, who earned his first All-ACC Academic honor, is also a member of the fourth- and fifth-fastest men’s 4x100m relays in school history.
Minimum academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career.
Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team. Every member of the 2017 All-ACC Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Academic Teams earned All-America and/or All-ACC honors, competed in the NCAA finals or was selected as an ACC Performer of the Week during the regular season.
The ACC Honor Roll, which recognizes all conference student-athletes with a grade point average of 3.0 for the current academic year, will be released in July.
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