COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) announced the 2019-20 indoor track & field all-academic team on Thursday as the University of Colorado Colorado Springs track & field teams totaled 34 Mountain Lions on the conference all-academic team, including Will Ross and Maia Austin who were voted RMAC All-Academic Athletes of the Year. UCCS had 30 student-athletes make RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll as four were voted the RMAC All-Academic First Team.

The award winners, along with other First Team All-Academic members, were voted on by the conference's sports information directors. To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have been an active student at the institution for at least two consecutive semesters or three consecutive quarters and carry a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (GPA).

All student-athletes who met those requirements, but were not selected for First Team, automatically qualified for Honor Roll.

FIRST TEAM
From Colorado Springs, Colo., Will Ross boasts a 3.891 GPA as a Mechanical Engineering major. It was a very impressive indoor season for the hometown senior as Ross was crowned RMAC Champion in both the long jump and triple jump. Ross' RMAC Championship marks in the LJ (7.45m) and TJ (15.36m) both set new school records, new personal bests, and improved his provisional marks for the season. A national qualifier for the 2020 NCAA Championships in both the long jump and triple jump, Ross claimed the ninth best long jump mark in DII and the fourth best triple jump mark in DII. The senior was responsible for a whopping 20 team points at conference championships as he helped the UCCS men's team win the program's first ever conference championship. Ross' 2019-20 accomplishments don't end there as he was voted RMAC Men's Field Athlete of the Week for the week of Feb. 18.

A native of Colorado Springs, Colo., Maia Austin holds a perfect 4.0 GPA as an Exercise Science major. As a 2020 RMAC Summit Award winner in both women's cross country and indoor track & field, Austin became the first student-athlete in school history to win two RMAC Summit Awards in their career. At RMAC Championships, Austin registered a silver medal finish in the women's mile with an improved provisional qualifying time of 4:52.76 to cement her place at the NCAA Championships. The mile wasn't the only event Austin qualified for as she helped the women's DMR team clock the ninth fastest time in Division II at 11:39.28 earlier in the season inside Mountain Lion Fieldhouse. Though her converted mile time at conference championships punched her ticket to nationals, Austin's raw mile time of 5:00.04 at the New Mexico Team Open back in February gave the junior her a new personal best. An RMAC Track Athlete of the Week selection for the week of Feb. 12, 2020, Austin helped the Mountain Lion women win their second indoor conference championship in the last three years.

For the second straight year junior Kaija Crowe has been voted to the RMAC All-Academic First Team as the Communications: Digital Film Making major holds a 3.565 GPA. Voted RMAC Athlete of the Meet for the third consecutive year, Crowe was responsible for 20.5 points scored at the conference championships. An RMAC Champion in women's pentathlon, Crowe improved on her provisional mark with a personal best 3,639 points to nationally qualify in pentathlon with 12th best mark in DII. The Milaca, Minn. native ranks top-10 in RMAC in five different events, and also ranks top-10 in three different events in the South Central Region.

Deshon Elcock makes his first career appearance on the RMAC All-Academic First Team as the senior posts a 3.420 GPA as a Mechanical Engineering major. Elcock recorded two podium finishes at the RMAC Championships as he ran to an RMAC Title in the men's 60m dash and a silver medal finish in the men's 200m. Responsible for recording 18 team points at the conference championships, Elcock ended the 2019-20 season by posting the fourth fastest 60m time in South Central Region at a conversion time of 6.80s, while also breaking the school record and setting a new PR in the 60m with a raw time of 6.76s.

HONOR ROLL – WOMEN'S TEAM
Layla Almasri – Colorado Springs, Colo. (Health Care Science, 3.374 GPA)
This season, Almasri placed fourth in the women's mile at conference championships with a PR of 4:54.79 and improved on her provisional mark as she qualified for nationals in the women's mile and DMR. In the DMR, the redshirt junior helped run the ninth fastest DMR time of 11:39.28 in in all of Division II.

Aleksandra Anderson — Commerce City, Colo. (Computer Science, 3.374 GPA)
A multi student-athlete for the Mountain Lions, Anderson earns her first career RMAC All-Academic honor. Anderson notched her season best pentathlon mark in the first meet of the year as the senior scored 3,155 points in the Mines Alumni Classic & Multi to take 12^th. In the RMAC Championships, Anderson went on to take ninth in the pentathlon (3,075 points) while also claiming a fourth-place finish in the women's high jump with a mark of 1.58m.

Kelsey Calhoun – Dickinson, N.D. (Geography/Environmental Sciences, 3.544 GPA)
Calhoun takes home her third consecutive RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll selection as the senior registered two top-10 finishes this season. The senior's best performance came at the Air Force Collegiate Open as Calhoun tossed a mark of 11.58m in the women's shot put for eighth place, then went on to take fifth in the weight throw with a distance of 15.40m.

Natalie Church – Snohomish, Wash. (Biochemistry, 3.741 GPA)
Church earns her first career track & field RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll selection. The two-sport student-athlete recorded her season best on the Mountain Lions' home track as the sophomore helped the women's DMR team to a third-place finish by clocking in at a time of 13:12.11 at the Mountain Lion Open.

Hannah Ellis – Greeley, Colo. (Nursing, 3.916 GPA)
The Colorado native earns her first RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll selection on the track & field side as Ellis competed in the women's 5000m for The Mountain Lions this season. The sophomore's best performance came in the RMAC Championships as Ellis raced to a time of 18:55.15 for a sixth-place finish.

Ellie Enderle – Canon City, Colo. (Health Care Science, 3.694 GPA)
The Colorado native is named to the RMAC Academic Honor Roll for the second consecutive year for the indoor season as Enderle competed in the 800m and the women's DMR for the 2019-20 season. With a time of 2:22.66, Enderle came in third place in the women's 800m as she recorded her season best finish at the Air Force Collegiate Open.

Brittany Fuchs – Calhan, Colo. (Inclusive Elementary Education, 3.890 GPA)
Fuchs registered her first career podium finish at RMAC Championships with a bronze finish in the women's 200m sprint. The sophomore posted the fourth fastest conference time and 11th fastest regional time in the women's 200m (24.99s).

Brenna Kuskie – Longmont, Colo. (Inclusive Elementary Education, 3.940 GPA)
Kuskie recorded three top-5 finishes in the women's pole vault as she earned her second RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll selection. The junior pole-vaulter posted both a personal best and a provisional mark at the RMAC Championships as Kuskie cleared a mark of 3.65m for a fifth-place finish.

Ella McKinna-Worrell – Malibu, Calif. (Accounting, 3.679 GPA)
McKinna-Worrell makes her way onto the RMAC Academic Honor Roll team for the first time in her career. The California native posted two personal best marks this season including a seventh-place time of 1:01.10 in the women's 400m at the UCCS Invitational and a PR of 3,163 points in the pentathlon at the RMAC Championships for seventh place.

Katie Novak – Glendale, Wis. (Economics, 3.971 GPA)
Novak has recorded four top-10 finishes during the 2019-20 indoor season with her best finish coming in the Mines Winter Classic Invitational with a third-place time of 10:49.24 in the women's 3000m. The senior distance runner also cemented a 10^th place finish at the RMAC Indoor Track & Field Championships at a time of 10:49.68.

Jenny Smith – Colorado Springs, Colo. (Inclusive Elementary Education, 3.468 GPA)
Smith competed in both the 3000m and the 5000m this season where she finished in the top-10 in both events. The junior notched her best performance in the conference championships at Mountain Lion Fieldhouse where a time of 19:22.25 placed her eighth in the women's 5000m. Smith concluded the 2019-20 indoor season recording personal bests in both the 3000m (11:14.31) and the 5000m.

Sierra Suazo – Larkspur, Colo. (Sociology, 3.594 GPA)
A two-time RMAC Academic Honor Roll selection, Suazo competed in both the shot put and weight throw in 2019-20 where the junior posted her season best marks in both events at the conference championships. In the weight throw, Suazo heaved a mark of 16.36m for fourth place as Suazo also recorded a season best mark of 12.12m in the shot put for a 12^th place finish.

Meg Super – Minot, N.D. (Anthropology, 3.937 GPA)
A junior distance runner, Super registered a top-10 finish in three different events this season including the 5000m, 3000m, and the mile. The North Dakota native started the season off strong with her best finish as Super clocked in at a personal best time of 10:56.31 in the women's 3000m to take third at the Mines Winter Classic Invitational.

Molly Weir – Rockford, Mich. (Biochemistry, 3.575 GPA)
A sophomore from Michigan, Weir earns her first career indoor RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll selection. At the Mines Winter Classic Invitational early in the season, Weir raced to a personal best in the women's 3000m by finishing in 11:04.04 for seventh place. Later in the season at the Air Force Collegiate Open, Weir claimed her best finish of the season by taking fourth in the 5000m with a time of 19:37.71.

Kayla Waterman – Longmont, Colo. (Biology, 3.737 GPA)
Waterman records her first RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll selection as a Mountain Lion. The sophomore multi student-athlete tallied two first place finishes in the women's 60m this season with a personal best time of 7.67s in the Mines Winter Classic Invitational. At the RMAC Championships, Waterman clocked a personal best in the women's 200m with a time of 25.81s as she came to finish seventh in the event while also registering a sixth-place finish in the 60m.

Grace Wenham – Highlands, Colo. (Mechanical Engineering, 4.000 GPA)
Boasting a perfect 4.0 GPA, Wenham competed in the 400m, 200m, and the 4x400m relay for the Mountain Lions in the 2019-20 indoor season. Wenham notched a pair of top-5 finishes at the RMAC Championships as she finished the women's 200m in a PR time of 27.53s and clocked a time of 1:02.10 in the 400m.  

Kayla Zink – Illiff, Colo. (Health Care Science, 3.618 GPA)
A bronze medalist in the 60m at RMAC Championships, Zink also recorded a fifth place finish at conference championships in the 200m. Zink qualified for nationals in the 60m with a converted time of 7.56s, and posted the third fastest 60m time in the South Central Region and second fastest 60m time in the RMAC. The Colorado native also recorded the sixth fastest 200m time of 25.08s in the conference.

HONOR ROLL – MEN'S TEAM
Dakota Abbott – Amherst, Neb. (Marketing, 3.367 GPA)
The sophomore jumps student-athlete qualified for nationals in the men's triple jump after posting the fifth best mark (15.30m) in all of DII at the Mountain Lion Open in February. His leap of 15.30m set a new personal best and is the second-best triple jump mark in the South Central Region. Abbott also recorded seven top-10 finishes this season, including one first place finish.

Cole Dunton – Lee's Summit, Mo. (Aerospace Engineering, 3.637 GPA)
The 2019-20 season was Dunton's first indoor season where he competed in the mile, 3000m, and the 5000m. Dunton recorded two top-15 finishes including a 13^th place finish in the 5000m (16:24.22) and 14^th place finish in the 3000m (9:23.92). The Missouri native earns his first career RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll selection with his 3.637 GPA.

Evan Graff – Montrose, Colo. (Criminal Justice, 3.734 GPA)
A bronze medalist at the RMAC Championships, Graff took third in the men's mile where he recorded a provisional mark and personal best time of 4:11.01. The sophomore distance runner recorded top-10 finishes in all six races he competed in this season, including a PR time of 8:59.48 in the 3000m at the Air Force Collegiate Open for second place.  

Matt Hanson – Parker, Colo. (Management, 3.648 GPA)
Hanson finished out the 2019-20 indoor season on a high note as the senior sprinted to a silver medal finish in the men's 60m hurdles at conference championships, while also tallying a PR of 8.23s in the process. Outside of conference championships, Hanson raced to four top-5 finishes in the 60m hurdles, including a first-place finish at the Mines Winter Classic Invitational with a time of 8.27s.

Dawson Hopkinson – Greeley, Colo. (Management, 3.900 GPA)
A pole vault student-athlete for the Mountain Lions, Hopkinson vaulted his way to five top-10 finishes this season as he qualified to compete in the RMAC Championships. At conference championships, the junior pole vaulter cleared a mark of 4.85m for a season best as he also took fourth place in the event to score five points for the UCCS men's team.

Colton Homuth – Castle Rock, Colo. (Computer Engineering, 3.844 GPA)
Homuth heaved his way to a school record and qualified for conference championships in two events for the 2019-20 indoor season. In his first meet of the season, Homuth registered a mark of 16.66m in the men's shot put that set a new school record, set a new personal best, and provisionally qualified him for nationals as he took first place in the event. At RMAC Championships, Homuth scored points in both the shot put and the weight throw as he recorded an eighth-place finish (14.90m) and a seventh-place finish (15.68m) respectively.

Charlie Kieffer – Fairfield, Conn. (Energy Science, 3.903 GPA)
Kieffer competed in three meets this season as the junior posted his best performance in the Air Force Collegiate Open with an eighth-place time of 1:59.73 in the 800m. Kieffer earns his second indoor all-academic honor roll selection, and his fifth career honor roll selection between cross country, indoor, and outdoor seasons.

Eric Krauss – Centennial, Colo. (Geography/Environmental Studies, 3.920 GPA)
Krauss earns his first career RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll selection as the sophomore competed in five meets for the Mountain Lions this season. Krauss' best finish of the season came in December as he registered a mark of 12.95m in the triple jump to take ninth place at the UCCS Invite.

Gary Kurtz – Brighton Colo. (Business, 3.656 GPA)
Kurtz adds his second indoor RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll selection as the junior competed in two meets this season where he competed in the 800m and the 5000m. At the UCCS Invite, Kurtz ran a personal best time of 16:51.17 in the men's 5000m then registered a top-10 time at the Air Force Collegiate Open with a time of 2:02.68 in the 800m.

Sam Repsher – Carl Junction, Miss. (Marketing, 3.607 GPA)
Repsher registered his first career podium finish at the RMAC Championships with a bronze finish in men's long jump (7.04m). Repsher also broke his own school record in the heptathlon while competing at conference championships with a provisional mark of 5,199 points. A national qualifier for the 2020 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the heptathlon with the 14th best mark in all of DII (5,223 points), Repsher scored points in three different events including 60m, long jump, and heptathlon to total 13 individual points scored at conference championships.

Kweshaan Thomas – Great Falls, Mon. (Marketing, 3.356 GPA)
A native of Great Falls, Mont., Thomas qualified for the RMAC Championships in both the long jump and triple jump where he recorded a personal best in the triple jump with a mark of 14.06m. Thomas also notched a PR in the long jump inside Mountain Lion Fieldhouse as the redshirt junior registered a jump of 6.71m at the Mountain Lion Open on Feb. 7 to take sixth place in the event.

Andrew Thompson – Parker Colo. (Computer Science, 3.362 GPA)
A junior from Parker, Colo., Thompson competed in three meets for the Mountain Lions this season as he qualified to compete in the 4x400m relay at RMAC Championships. After helping post a time of 3:30.59 at the Mines Winter Classic Invitational, Thompson and the UCCS men's 4x400m relay team finished in 3:27.90 for eighth place at the conference championships.

Will Young – Pewaukee, Wis. (Finance, 3.927 GPA)
At the Mines Winter Classic Invitational, Young raced to a time of 9:21.68 in the 3000m where he finished in 10^th for his best finish of the season. Young also raced to a time of 16:22.32 in the 5000m at the Mountain Lion Open and finished the mile in 4:48.41 at the Air Force Collegiate Open as he receives his first career all-academic honor roll selection.

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