A Bobcat quartet marks the largest group in Ohio’s history to earn the honor of being named to the Women’s Indoor Track and Field Academic All-Mid-American Conference Team.
Underclassmen form the majority of Ohio’s honorees, as sophomores Juli Accurso, Emily Pifer and Melissa Thompson join two-time honoree senior Brittany Tyree.
To be considered for Academic All-MAC Team, student-athletes must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA and compete in at least 50 percent of the contests for their particular sport.
“If you’re getting athletes who are achieving those goals, you’re doing something right as a team – academically and athletically,” head coach Clay Calkins said. “We like to have a good combination of both.”
Tyree, a multi-track and field athlete who competes up to seven events at certain meets, balances a 3.91 GPA in communication studies, and 15 of her 25 finishes were among the top 10 at their respective meets this indoor season.
Before she left to study abroad in France and redshirt this outdoor season, Accurso concluded the indoor season by becoming the first Bobcat ever to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships and was then nameda Second Team All-American by the United States Track, Field and Cross Country Coaches of America. Breaking three Ohio records in the 3,000-meter, 5000-meter and mile races, Accurso also holds a 3.84 GPA in French.
Thompson, owning a 3.875 GPA in journalism, had 10 of her 12 finishes among the top 10 at their respective meets during the indoor season. She also placed fifth in the MAC in the mile, sixth in the 1,000 meters and 13th in the 3,000 meters.
Also in Journalism, Pifer has a GPA of 3.94. She finished the indoor season with five of her seven finishes among the top eight in their respective meets.
Three out of the four – Accurso, Thompson and Pifer – are distance runners and also run cross country for the Bobcats.
“I always see a direct correlation between academic performance and athletic distance runners,” distance coach Mitch Bentley said. “You have to have the same mindset to work hard on your own. If someone is working hard in the classroom, invariably they will be a hard worker on the distance running side of things as well.”
Five more Bobcats also received honorable mention: junior Kristen Mason, junior Kiley Mathews, senior Hope McCarty, junior Lauren McCullough and junior Brianna Shaw.
nb155607@ohio.edu
