Track & Field Boasts Four USTFCCCA All-Academic Awards; Honored at Team Level as Well
NEW ORLEANS (July 19, 2022) -- Four members of the Franklin Pierce University track & field program have earned All-Academic honors from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, as announced last week by the USTFCCCA. In addition, both the men's and women's squads were honored as All-Academic Teams by the USTFCCCA.
The Ravens saw two athletes from the men's team and two athletes from the women's tem earn the accolade. Sophomores Brogan Bonsaint (Somersworth, N.H.) and Wondu Summa (Burlington, Vt.) were honored for the men, while senior Paola Brena (Queretaro, Mexico) and junior Nyjah Young-Bey (Montclair, N.J.) picked up awards for the women.
The USTFCCCA bestows All-Academic honors on those who compile a cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 or better and meet the NCAA Championships qualifying standards in an event during either the indoor or outdoor campaigns. To be honored as a team, a squad must carry at least a 3.0 GPA.
Bonsaint was an All-East Region performer in the javelin, as he finished third in the region at 59.60 meters, and also finished fourth in the event at the Northeast-10 Conference Championship. Meanwhile, Summa earned individual All-Region honors in the outdoor 5000 meters (14:38) and the outdoor 10,000 meters (30:31), as he ranked second in the East in both events. He was also a member of Franklin Pierce's All-East team in the indoor distance medley relay (10:10) and was an NE10 Academic All-Conference pick for the outdoor season.
As for the women, Brena led the East Region in the high jump during the indoor season (1.70m) and ranked second during the outdoor season (1.70m), to earn All-Region honors in both campaigns. She was also an Academic All-District selection by Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Meanwhile, Young-Bey was one of the highlights of the year for the Ravens, as she qualified for the NCAA Championship in the outdoor 400 meters, where she ultimately finished 18th. She was a four-time All-Region pick, earning the honor for both the indoor and outdoor versions of both the 200 and 400 meters.
Both Ravens squads were honored at the team level as well, with the women carrying a 3.51 GPA and the men sporting a 3.21 GPA.