Three individuals, Women’s Track and Field team earn USTFCCCA All-Academic awards
By Wes Mayberry
| 2023 USTFCCCA NCAA III Women's Track & Field All-Academic Athletes | 2023 USTFCCCA NCAA III Women's Track & Field All-Academic Teams |
ADA — Three individuals and the Ohio Northern women's track and field team received All-Academic honors for the 2023 season by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Fifth-year senior accounting major Tessa Pitcovich (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls), senior marketing major Anna Schatzle (Brookville, Ind./Franklin County) and sophomore psychology major Hannah Friend (Luckey/Eastwood) were each selected as 2023 All-Academic Athletes for NCAA Division III women's track and field.
To earn All-Academic distinction, student-athletes must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale through the most recently completed grading period in addition to finishing among the top 50 individuals or as a member of a top-35 relay team on the TFRRS descending order lists.
Pitcovich finished the season ranked inside the top 50 in three events.
Her time of 36:07.00 in the outdoor 10,000 meters at the Washington (Mo.) Distance Carnival on April 1 ranks 21st nationally for 2023 and second all-time at ONU, earning her qualification into the NCAA Division III Championships.
Her time of 17:35.35 in the indoor 5,000 meters at the Grand Valley State (Mich.) Big Meet on Feb. 10 ranks 41st nationally and second all-time at ONU.
Her time of 10:06.26 in the indoor 3,000 meters at the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships on Feb. 24 earned her a conference title and closed the season ranked 47th nationally and third all-time at ONU.
Schatzle finished the year ranked inside the top 50 in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault.
Her mark of 3.52 meters indoors at the Wittenberg Invitational on Feb. 18 ranks 41st nationally, and her mark of 3.62 meters outdoors at the Mount Union Last Chance Meet on May 17 ranks 36th.
Friend ranks 39th nationally and second all-time at ONU in the discus with her career-best mark of 42.48 meters from the OAC Outdoor Championships on May 4.
In addition, the Polar Bears earned a USTFCCCA Academic Team award, which is given to programs with a minimum grade point average of 3.1 on a 4.0 scale through the most recently completed grading period. Northern boasted a team GPA of 3.38 this season.
Under 14th-year head coach Jason Maus, the ONU women's track and field team finished 24-2 overall and third in the OAC during the indoor season and 28-5 overall and third in the OAC during the outdoor season in 2023.