Track & Field: Olivet receives academic honors from USTFCCCA

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Olivet College men’s and women’s track & field teams have been named 2014-15 All-Academic Teams, according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). A total of 170 women’s teams and 99 men’s teams earned the distinction as a result of earning a cumulative team grade point average (GPA) of 3.10 or higher. The Comet women posted a 3.27 GPA, while the men were slightly behind at 3.22.

In addition, Andrew Benkovsky and Jalen Weaver were named to the All-Academic Individual team, according to the USTFCCCA. A total of 297 men from 106 schools earned this honor.

To qualify for this award, the student-athlete must have a 3.30 or higher cumulative GPA and met either one of the following athletic standards:

• Competed in an NCAA Indoor or Outdoor Championship
• Finished the regular season ranked in the national top 35 in an individual event or ranked in the national top 25 (collective listing) in a relay event on the official NCAA POP list provided by TFRRS.org

Benkovsky graduated with a 3.60 GPA in criminal justice and participated in the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He became the first Olivet student-athlete in more than 30 years to earn All-American honors at the outdoor track & field championships with a seventh-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. In the finals of the event, Benkovsky broke the school record in the event at 9:04.94.

Weaver had a 3.81 GPA in exercise science and competed in the NCAA Indoor Championships. He was the first indoor track & field All-American in school history by virtue of a sixth-place finish in the 800-meter run. A 2015 Capital One Academic All-America® selection, Weaver holds the school record in the 800 both indoors (1:53.15) and outdoors (1:52.43).