WWU student-athletes recognized for success in competition and in the classroom. PHOTO: WWU Athletics
Nine Vikings Earn USTFCCCA Academic Awards
July 27, 2018
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Nine Western Washington University Track & Field student-athletes have been named to the 2018 NCAA Division II U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team.
Including the Scholar Athletes of the Year, a total of 405 women and 308 men earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors during the 2018 track & field season.
To qualify for USTFCCCA All-Academic honors, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and have reached a provisional or automatic qualifying standard for the NCAA Championships in either the indoor or outdoor seasons.
The WWU student-athletes that earned USTFCCCA All-Academic awards in for 2018 indoor and outdoor season include the following. Andrew Wise, Maddy Hutchison, Alexandra Laiblin and Tracy Melville were USTFCCCA academic award winners from the cross country season.
Barry (Sequim, WA) wrapped up a standout junior campaign by adding another award to his ledger. He was a First Team All-American in the javelin after placing 4th at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, setting a PR on three of his six attempts. His best mark of 68.38m/224-4 moved him 2nd place in WWU outdoor history and is 5th-best in GNAC history. Barry was also named WWU’s co-Male Athlete of the Year, sharing the honors with senior basketball player Deandre Dickson.
McMullin (Sequim, WA) capped her collegiate career with a 4th-place finish in the triple jump at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships to earn First Team All-America honors. She won the long jump and the triple jump at the GNAC Championships , setting the GNAC record, meet record and school record in the triple jump with a leap of 12.68m (41-7 ¼). Her efforts landed her the Women’s Field Athlete of the Meet and Women’s Performance of the Meet. McMullin was named WWU’s co-Female Scholar Athlete of the Year and earned Google Cloud Academic All-America® first-team honors as a selection to the NCAA Division II Track & Field/Cross Country Team.
Nienaber (Battle Ground, WA/Prairie) maintained a 3.75 GPA during her freshman season while recording an NCAA II provisional mark of 42.31m/138-10 in the javelin. Her season-best mark was 34th-best in NCAA Division II.
Paradee (Tacoma, WA/Decatur) qualified for the NCAA II Outdoor Championships in the pole vault for the second time in her career and placed 2nd at the GNAC Championships in her senior outdoor season. She recorded a season-best mark of 3.97m/13-0.25 at the WWU Team Invitational, just off her school and GNAC record of 4.01m/13-1.75 set in 2017. Paradee has one season of indoor eligibility left for the Vikings.
Pellecer (Sandy, OR) made her long-awaited debut for the Vikings after transferring from Portland State. The sophomore earned First Team All-America honors by finishing 6th in the javelin at the NCAA II Outdoor Championships and was named the GNAC Newcomer of the Year. Her season-best throw of 48.01m/157-6 earned her a 2nd-place finish at the GNAC Championships and is 7th-best in WWU history. She maintains a 3.62 GPA as an accounting major.
Sager (Snohomish, WA/Everett CC) had a standout junior season, earning USTFCCCA All-West Region honors in the 800m during the indoor season and recorded an NCAA II provisional qualifying mark during the outdoor season in the 800m. His time of 1:54.62 clocked at the GNAC Indoor Championships is 2nd-best in WWU history.
Taylor (Seattle, WA/Auburn Mountainview) debuted with the Vikings during the 2018 outdoor season and won the GNAC Championships in the high jump with a mark of 1.66m/5-5.25. Her season-best leap of 1.70m/5-7 set at the Beach Invitational was an NCAA II provisional mark and 5th-best in WWU outdoor history.
Vetto (Kirkland, WA/Lake Washington) recorded a 3.59 GPA during her freshman year while pursuing a degree in Kinesiology. She recorded an NCAA II provisional mark in the javelin with a season-best throw of 46.38m/152-2 and competed in the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships where she placed 16th.
Wickliff (Vancouver, WA/Evergreen/Clark College) earned USTFCCCA All-West Region honors in the high jump with a season-best jump 2.06m/6-9 during the outdoor season. He was the high jump champion at the 2018 GNAC Indoor Championships clearing 2.01m/6-7, the 4th-best mark in WWU history.
-- @WWUAthletics --
