Lehigh track and field programs, three individuals honored by USTFCCCA

USTFCCCA Division I Academic Awards

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men's and women's track and field programs once again garnered academic recognition from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association as the USTFCCCA released its academic awards for the 2013-14 season late Tuesday night.

Both Lehigh teams earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors, while three individuals: recent graduates Jimil Ataman and Tyler Mueller, and rising senior Adeolu Adesida were named to the All-Academic Individuals List. Lehigh's women's track and field program was recognized for the third straight year, while Ataman and Adesida receive the individual award for the second consecutive season.

The All-Academic Team award recognizes programs that post a cumulative team GPA of 3.00 or better. On the women's side, Lehigh was one of six Patriot League women's programs recognized. The Mountain Hawks posted a 3.26 team GPA. Lehigh's men posted a 3.13 GPA and the Mountain Hawks were also one of six Patriot League men's teams to receive the award.

A total of 208 women's teams and 116 men's teams received the award, with San Francisco posting the top women's GPA at 3.63 and Chattanooga leading the men at 3.60.

Ataman was one of 727 women's track and field athletes to earn the All-Academic Individual award after posting a 3.64 in History and Anthropology. She is a two-time NCAA Regional qualifier in the outdoor hammer throw, finishing 30th as a junior and 40th as a senior. The Eagle, Idaho product is also a two-time All-East performer and owns the school record in the hammer throw.

On the men's side, Adesida boasts a 3.26 GPA in Accounting. Adesida is also a two-time NCAA Regional qualifier in the high jump, finishing 28th in 2014. This past season, the Princeton, N.J. native won both the Patriot League indoor and outdoor titles in the high jump. Adesida also owns the school records in both the indoor and outdoor high jump events.

Mueller capped a strong career in the brown and white by garnering Lehigh's Outstanding Graduating Male Athlete award at Lehigh's annual end-of-year Athletics Honors Convocation in late April. A Bioengineering major with a 3.28 GPA, Mueller won the individual Patriot League cross country championship and qualified for the NCAA Championships, where his 67th place finish was the best ever for a Lehigh runner at Nationals. The Pottstown, Pa. native won Patriot League indoor titles in the 3,000 and 5,000 meter events. He qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the 5,000 and 10,000 meter outdoor events but was unable to compete due to an injury suffered prior to the Patriot League Championships.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field team, the student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher and have met either of the following athletic standards: for the indoor season, a student-athlete must have finished the regular season ranked in the national top 96 in an individual event or ranked in the national top 48 (collective listing) in a relay event on the official NCAA POP list provided by TFRRS.org; for the outdoor season, a student-athlete must have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Championships (including preliminary rounds).

For more information on the USTFCCCA awards, visit the organization's page here.

Lehigh University Athletics

Lehigh track and field programs, three individuals honored by USTFCCCA

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