COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs Department of Athletics is announcing major award winners every day from April 20-24.  The 2020 UCCS Student-Athletes of the Year are Maia Austin (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Will Ross (Colorado Springs, Colo.).
 
The 2020 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women's Indoor Track & Field Academic Athlete of the Year, Maia Austin holds a perfect 4.0 GPA as an Exercise Science major. Austin, who runs cross country for the Mountain Lions in the fall season, was named the 2019 RMAC Women's Cross Country and the 2020 RMAC Women's Indoor Track & Field Summit Award winner for both sports, becoming the first student-athlete in school history to win two RMAC Summit Awards in a career.
 
At the RMAC Indoor Track & Field Championship meet, 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. 
 
In the fall season, Austin ran in four meets for the Mountain Lions, including all three post-season meets to help UCCS qualify for the NCAA DII National Championship meet.  In her second meet of the season, she set a new PR time in the 6K at the RMAC Championship race, crossing the finish line in 30^th place in 21:54.9.  Two weeks later, she finished 28^th at the NCAA South Central Regional Meet in 23:00.2, before helping the Mountain Lions to a 15^th place finish at the National meet (22:10.0).
 
From Colorado Springs, Colo., Will Ross boasts a 3.891 GPA as a Mechanical Engineering major. Ross, who was voted the RMAC Field Athlete of the week on Feb. 18, was crowned RMAC Champion in both the long jump and triple jump as both of his jumps at the RMAC Championship meet set new school records and personal bests.  He notched distances of 7.45m in the long jump and 15.36m in the triple jump.  A national qualifier for the 2020 NCAA Championships in both events, Ross claimed the ninth best long jump mark in DII and the fourth best triple jump mark in DII.

Tomorrow, the four UCCS Athletic Director Award winners will be announced, beginning at 11 a.m. on the Mountain Lions official social media platforms.
 
McLaughlin – Monday, April 20
Male: Matt Clarke, Baseball
Female: Alessa Muir, Soccer
 
Athlete of the Year – Tuesday, April 21
Male: Padiet Wang, Basketball
Female: Hannah Meek, Track & Field
 
Student-Athlete of the Year - Wednesday, April 22
Male: Will Ross, Track & Field
Female: Maia Austin, Cross Country, Track & Field
 
AD Award – Thursday, April 23
Male: TBA
Female: TBA
 
Freshmen of the Year – Friday, April 24
Male: TBA
Female: TBA