The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced its track & field academic awards on Monday, July 15. UIS women's track & field ranked ninth in NCAA DII with a 3.69 GPA to earn All-Academic Team honors. Men's track & field also earned All-Academic Team honors with a GPA of 3.32.
The UIS track & field program also had three individual honorees. Ryan Jones and Cort Ross represented UIS men's track & field, while Madelyn Miller represented UIS women's track & field. To be named an NCAA DI All-Academic Athlete, an athlete must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and a provisional qualifying mark in an individual or relay event.
Cort Ross led the Prairie Stars with five provisional marks across three distances in 2024. He was an All-GLVC finisher in the men's 5,000m and ran the top 10,000 meter time in the Midwest Region during the outdoor season, 29 minutes and 18 seconds. Ross was recently named a Second Team Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators (CSC). He studied exercise science at UIS and finished his collegiate career with a 4.0 cumulative GPA.
Ryan Jones was the GLVC runner-up in the men's 3,000 meter steeplechase in 2024. He finished the season ranked No. 8 in the Midwest Region with a time of 9 minutes and 12 seconds. Jones completed his bachelor's degree in 2024 and intends to pursue an MBA at UIS.
Sophomore Madelyn Miller earned her first All-Academic honors. Her mark of 36 minutes and 14 seconds in the 10,000 meters was the first provisional mark by a UIS women's track & field athlete since the 2022 indoor season.
Each member of the trio was also recognized with USTFCCCA All-Academic Honors in the fall semester for their achievements during cross country season.
The USTFCCCA presents All-Academic honors to student-athletes and teams that excel in the classroom and in the arenas, courses, and stadiums in which they compete. For All-Academic purposes, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field are considered on a combined basis.
USTFCCCA Awards