Photo by: Justin Tafoya, NCAA Photos
Falcons Place 36 on Academic All-Conference List
7/27/2020 2:33:00 PM | Track and Field
Chris Doerr and Swathi Samuel became the latest to earn academic all-MW honors all four years.
COLORADO SPRING, Colo. – Thirty-six members of the Air Force track and field team were named to the Mountain West Academic All-Conference Team for the spring semester, the conference office announced this afternoon (July 27). Backed by an Academy-leading 22 selections from the men's team, the track and field program accounted for a large portion of the Academy's 87 total academic all-conference selections.
Highlighting the track and field team's list of representatives were recent Academy graduates Chris Doerr (3.34, management) and Swathi Samuel (3.86, operations research), who captured academic all-conference accolades for the fourth-straight year. The pair are two of the 67 track and field Falcons to have earned academic honors from the conference all four years.
Classmates Lindsey Blanks (3.91, operations research) and Marshall Wheeler (3.69, systems engineering) captured their third academic all-MW distinction, while Connor Stevens (3.16, management) and Justin Weber (3.85, geospatial science) picked up their second academic award from the conference and Michael Rhoads (3.04, management) earned his first.
Juniors Hunter Boyer (3.73, aeronautical engineering), Addison Brown (3.18, computer science), Colin Dwyer (3.47, geospatial science), Scott Johnson (3.55, operations research), Mitch Lipe (3.71, aeronautical engineering) and Kathleen Medill (3.75, electrical engineering) all received academic all-conference recognition for the third-straight year. Classmates Maria Mettler (3.12, behavioral science) and Greg Skage (3.32, management) picked up their second conference honor, while Meghan Carbiener (3.19, biology) captured her first.
Sophomores Sean Geither (aeronautical engineering) and Frank Rossi (applied mathematics) posted matching grade-point-averages of 3.95 to lead the track and field team – and tie for third amongst all of the Academy's winter and spring student-athlete honorees.
Geither was one of seven sophomores to collect academic all-conference honors in back-to-back years, as he joined Garrett Blenkush (3.60, aeronautical engineering), Ethan Gardner (3.32, mechanical engineering), Kendra Middleton (3.61, aeronautical engineering), Brid O'Connell (3.31, operations research), Michelle Roca (3.77, biology) and Erika Willis (3.78, biology) on the academic all-MW list for the second-straight year. A team-leading 15 sophomores earned academic recognition in 2020, as Rossi, Andi Almodovar (3.10, biology), Sarah Deresky (3.61, systems engineering), Mikayla Gallagher (3.89, astronautical engineering/applied mathematics), Ryan Ioanidis (3.19, foreign area studies/political science), Will Kitzhaber (3.51, legal studies), Adrianna Wilder (3.15, systems engineering) and Matt Zacharias (3.08, cyber security) all claimed their first academic all-conference certificate.
In addition, five freshmen – Ben Bi (3.71, aeronautical engineering), Aiden Boyle (3.64, undeclared), Niko Fraser (3.40, undeclared), Ben Leicht (3.66, aeronautical engineering) and Katie Van Havel (3.59, undeclared) – claimed academic honors from the conference during their initial collegiate campaign.
A league-best 1130 student-athletes were named to the Mountain West's academic all-conference team for the spring semester, which features the sports of baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf, softball, women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field. To be eligible for selection, student-athletes must have completed at least one academic term at the member institution while maintaining a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.00 or better and be a starter or significant contributor on their athletic team.
Highlighting the track and field team's list of representatives were recent Academy graduates Chris Doerr (3.34, management) and Swathi Samuel (3.86, operations research), who captured academic all-conference accolades for the fourth-straight year. The pair are two of the 67 track and field Falcons to have earned academic honors from the conference all four years.
Classmates Lindsey Blanks (3.91, operations research) and Marshall Wheeler (3.69, systems engineering) captured their third academic all-MW distinction, while Connor Stevens (3.16, management) and Justin Weber (3.85, geospatial science) picked up their second academic award from the conference and Michael Rhoads (3.04, management) earned his first.
Juniors Hunter Boyer (3.73, aeronautical engineering), Addison Brown (3.18, computer science), Colin Dwyer (3.47, geospatial science), Scott Johnson (3.55, operations research), Mitch Lipe (3.71, aeronautical engineering) and Kathleen Medill (3.75, electrical engineering) all received academic all-conference recognition for the third-straight year. Classmates Maria Mettler (3.12, behavioral science) and Greg Skage (3.32, management) picked up their second conference honor, while Meghan Carbiener (3.19, biology) captured her first.
Sophomores Sean Geither (aeronautical engineering) and Frank Rossi (applied mathematics) posted matching grade-point-averages of 3.95 to lead the track and field team – and tie for third amongst all of the Academy's winter and spring student-athlete honorees.
Geither was one of seven sophomores to collect academic all-conference honors in back-to-back years, as he joined Garrett Blenkush (3.60, aeronautical engineering), Ethan Gardner (3.32, mechanical engineering), Kendra Middleton (3.61, aeronautical engineering), Brid O'Connell (3.31, operations research), Michelle Roca (3.77, biology) and Erika Willis (3.78, biology) on the academic all-MW list for the second-straight year. A team-leading 15 sophomores earned academic recognition in 2020, as Rossi, Andi Almodovar (3.10, biology), Sarah Deresky (3.61, systems engineering), Mikayla Gallagher (3.89, astronautical engineering/applied mathematics), Ryan Ioanidis (3.19, foreign area studies/political science), Will Kitzhaber (3.51, legal studies), Adrianna Wilder (3.15, systems engineering) and Matt Zacharias (3.08, cyber security) all claimed their first academic all-conference certificate.
In addition, five freshmen – Ben Bi (3.71, aeronautical engineering), Aiden Boyle (3.64, undeclared), Niko Fraser (3.40, undeclared), Ben Leicht (3.66, aeronautical engineering) and Katie Van Havel (3.59, undeclared) – claimed academic honors from the conference during their initial collegiate campaign.
A league-best 1130 student-athletes were named to the Mountain West's academic all-conference team for the spring semester, which features the sports of baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf, softball, women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field. To be eligible for selection, student-athletes must have completed at least one academic term at the member institution while maintaining a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.00 or better and be a starter or significant contributor on their athletic team.
Players Mentioned
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5000m
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Pole Vault
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800m
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1500m / 800m
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5000m
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Pole Vault
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400m
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1500m / 5000m
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1500m
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1500m / 5000m
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800m / 1500m
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Pole Vault
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High Jump / Long Jump / Heptathlon
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400m
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800m
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400m Hurdles
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800m
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1500m / 5000m
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Pole Vault
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Decathlon / Pole Vault
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Long Jump / Triple Jump
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3000m Steeplechase / 5000m
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3000m Steeplechase / 5000m
/ Track and Field
1500m / 5000m
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Pole Vault
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3000m Steeplechase / 5000m
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