Wright, Hutson, Koll, Dekkers Are Scholar Athletes of the Year in D-I

NEW ORLEANS – Phoebe Wright (Tennessee), Kylie Hutson (Indiana State), Lisa Koll (Iowa State), and Evelien Dekkers (Florida) were named on Wednesday as Scholar Athletes of the Year in Division I for the 2010 track & field seasons by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The four represent collegiate track & field’s best in both athletics and academics. In addition, 557 were tapped as USTFCCCA All-Academic honorees.

Past All-Academic Honorees

Scholar Athletes are determined from among those who earned All-Academic status and placed highest in individual events at the most recent NCAA Championships. Those who earn multiple individual championship titles rank higher in the tie-breaking process, and cumulative GPA is weighed as the final tiebreaker to establish a winner. Separate awards are given to track athletes and field athletes and separately for the indoor and outdoor seasons, resulting in four categories.

Indoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year – Phoebe Wright, Tennessee

Wright, a native of Signal Mountain, Tenn., was the NCAA Indoor Champion in the 800 meters, running 2:02.55 in the final to claim victory. Wright also led off the Lady Vol DMR team to victory at the indoor championships, helping the squad to a second-place national team finish. Wright notched a cumulative 3.97 GPA as in biochemistry and is the third-straight winner of the award to come from Tennessee.

Indoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year – Kylie Hutson, Indiana State

Hutson, a native of Terre Haute, Ind., claimed the NCAA title in the pole vault for the second-straight year as she was the only one to clear 14-9 (4.50m) in the competition. Hutson was a senior this year in exercise science and through the winter 2010 term and has cleared a cumulative GPA of 3.51. Hutson is a two-time consecutive winner of this award.

Outdoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year – Lisa Koll, Iowa State

Koll, a native of Fort Dodge, Iowa, was the NCAA Outdoor Champion in the 5000 and 10,000 meters and became the fourth female in collegiate history to win both of those events at a single championship. Koll also reset the 10,000-meter collegiate record in March with a 31:18.07 run and is one of three finalists for The Bowerman. Koll, in the winter 2010 term, was a graduate student in veterinary medicine and has compiled a 3.74 cumulative GPA in her career. Koll was also the 2008 winner of the Outdoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year award.

Outdoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year – Evelien Dekkers, Florida

Dekkers, a native of Etten-Leur, The Netherlands, won the javelin at the NCAA Outdoor Championships by nearly 20 feet with a last-attempt throw of 193-6 (58.99m). The senior human nutrition major helped the Gators to a third-place national finish with the victory. Dekkers has carded a 3.84 cumulative GPA in her academic career.

Past Winners

Indoor Track & Field (track athlete)
2010: Phoebe Wright, Tennessee
2009: Sarah Bowman, Tennessee
2008: Sarah Bowman, Tennessee

Indoor Track & Field (field athlete)
2010: Kylie Hutson, Indiana State
2009: Kylie Hutson, Indiana State
2008: Ellie Rudy, Montana State

Indoor Track & Field (single award)
2007: Sarah Stevens, Arizona State

Outdoor Track & Field (track athlete)
2010: Lisa Koll, Iowa State
2009: Jenny Barringer, Colorado
2008: Lisa Koll, Iowa State

Outdoor Track & Field (field athlete)
2010: Evelien Dekkers, Florida
2009: Kim Williams, Florida State
2008: Sarah Stevens, Arizona State

Outdoor Track & Field (single award)
2007: Michelle Sikes, Wake Forest

557 Earn All-Academic Status

In addition to the Scholar Athletes of the Year, the USTFCCCA also announced the women’s 2010 Division I All-Academic Track & Field team. A record total of 557 student-athletes representing 152 institutions compose the group. Nebraska led all schools for the second-straight year with 18 honorees while BYU was next in the order with 15 on the list. The Big Ten notched the conference lead with 65 All-Academic nods while the Big 12 was edged out with 64.

National champions Brianne Theisen (Oregon), Kim Williams (Florida State), Angela Bizzarri (Illinois), Bridget Franek (Penn State), and Patricia Mamona (Clemson) joined those who won Scholar Athlete of the Year honors as All-Academic honorees.

Twenty-eight All-Academic honorees were reported to have cumulative GPAs of 4.0 and above. A complete listing is below.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and have met either the NCAA Division I Indoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard or participated in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships (including preliminary rounds) in their respective event.

The male Scholar Athletes of the Year in Division I, along with additional individuals given All-Academic status, will be released tomorrow, Thursday, July 29. Those institutions given All-Academic Team status will be named on Monday, August 2 (men) and Wednesday, March 3 (women).

USTFCCCA 2010 Division I Track & Field All-Academic Honorees, WOMEN