Record Eight Track & Field Athletes Earn USTFCCCA All-Academic Honors

Women's team earns team honor

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (07/22/2021) — A program-record eight Monmouth College track & field student athletes, in addition to the entire women's team, have been awarded the All-Academic honor by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The honorees are: Kenzie Baker (Aledo, Illinois), Alex Cutright (Glenwood Springs, Colorado), Cindy Ladner (Galesburg, Illinois), Hannah McVey (Monmouth, Illinois), Jonathan Oradiegwu (Richmond, Texas), Jordan Peckham (Farmington, Illinois), Austin Pfau (Leland, Illinois) and Reed Wilson (Normal, Illinois). Ladner, Pfau and Wilson are repeat honorees from the 2020 season.

The previous record was six student-athletes earning the honor back in 2009. This marks the 12th time since 2006 that multiple Scots have earned the honor in the same season and the fifth straight year that a Monmouth student-athlete has been awarded the All-Academic status.

The women's team posted a team GPA of 3.487 to earn the distinction of being an All-Academic Team. The criteria for the team award is a 3.1 cumulative team GPA and the women's team last earned the honor in 2019.

To be named a Division III Track a& Field All-Academic Athlete, students must have a minimum 3.30 cumulative GPA and also meet one of the following athletic criteria: Finished the season ranked among the top 50 individuals listed on TFRRS for their event; Compete as a member of a relay team ranked in the top 35; qualify for the Indoor or Outdoor National Championships

Baker graduated from Monmouth in May with a degree in Exercise Science. She finished her track career as an All-American after finishing eighth in the 200m race at the Outdoor National Championships. She finished eighth in the finals at 24.72 after running a career-best 24.38 in the semifinal heat. Baker was also named the Midwest Conference Southern Division Outstanding Track Performer of the Year and won the Monmouth College Kim Mead Award.

Cutright graduated in May with a degree in Biochemistry. He posted the 48th best 400m mark in Division III this season with a 55.16 at the Big Blue Open at Millikin on April 23. He was named Midwest Conference track performer of the week for his efforts. Cutright won the 110m hurdles and the 400m hurdles at the MWC Southern Division Meet and was part of the 4x400m winning relay team.

Ladner graduated with a degree in Exercise Science. She posted the 47th best long jump distance in Division III this season with a leap of 5.51m (18' 1") at the IC True Blue Invitational. Ladner was also a USTFCCCAA Academic All-American in 2020 after the Indoor season.

McVey graduated with a degree in Exercise Science. McVey finished with the 34th best distance in the hammer throw this year. Her season best was a 50.21m (164' 9") throw at the Midwest Conference Southern Division meet in Monmouth.

Oradiegwu completed his junior year as a Biochemistry major. He just missed qualifying for the Outdoor National Championships as he posted the 20th best high jump in Division III this season. His high mark was 2.03m (6'8") at the Big Blue Open, also his career high. Oradiegwu won at the MWC meet with a jump of 1.88m (6' 2").

Peckham finished her sophomore year as a Biochemistry major. She qualified for the Outdoor National Championships in the 400m race after running a 57.29 at the Augustana College Twilight Final Qualifier. At the Championships she ran a career-best 56.96 in the semifinal heat and finished 12th overall, seven spots ahead of her seed.

Pfau graduated in May with a degree in Business as he earned the USTFCCCA honor for a second year in a row. On the track he narrowly missed qualifying for Nationals with the 18th best triple jump in D3. His legal high mark of 14.51m (47' 7.25") came at the IC True Blue Invitational on May 1. He jumped 14.66m (48' 1.25") at the same meet but that jump was wind-aided and didn't count towards the qualifying number. Pfau won both the triple jump and the long jump at the MWC meet and was part of the 4x400m relay team while finishing second to Cutright in the 400m hurdles.

Wilson finished his sophomore year as an Engineering major while earning the USTFCCCA honor for a second time. He qualified for Nationals in the pole vault with the ninth-best mark in D3 this season. Wilson cleared a career-best 4.91m (16' 1.25") to win the MWC Southern Division championship on May 14.