Four St. Cloud State Track & Field/Cross Country Athletes Earn Academic All-District® Honors
6/18/2024 11:01:00 AM | Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
Breña, Conrad, Freed and Martinez-Rodriguez cited by CSC for academic and athletics performance
GREENWOOD, Ind. – Five St. Cloud State Track & Field/Cross Country student-athletes have been named to the 2023-24 Academic All-District® Track & Field/Cross Country teams, selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC). Graduate high jumper Paola Breña (Queretero, Mexico), senior distance runner Erica Conrad (Ashwaubenon, Wis.), junior distance runner Greta Freed (Rochester, Minn.) and senior horizontal jumper Elena Martinez-Rodriguez (Madrid, Spain) were recognized for their success in the classroom and on the track and course and in the field.
The Academic All-District® Track & Field/Cross Country teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the track/course/in the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
To be eligible for the CSC Academic All-District® Track & Field/Cross Country teams, a student-athlete must have a 3.50 cumulative GPA or higher in both undergraduate and graduate studies (if applicable), in at least their second year of competition at the collegiate level and ranked in the top 50 in their region in at least one single event (cross country regional meet, indoor track & field or outdoor track & field).
Breña, who completed her undergraduate degree with a 3.88 cumulative grade point average, recently graduated with a master's in Clinical Exercise Physiology and a 3.86 graduate GPA. This season, she used her final season of collegiate eligibility during the outdoor season after using the indoor season to train. She won the high jump at three meets and finished second at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Earlier this year, she earned the NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award. She was a two-time NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships qualifier (All-American at the 2023 Outdoor meet), two-time USTFCCCA All-Central Region honoree, two-time All-NSIC honoree, eight-time regular season meet winner in the high jump for the Huskies. She was also named NSIC Field Athlete to Watch for SCSU (Outdoor 2023) and the SCSU Wolters Kluwer Athletes of the Month in February 2023. She closed her career ranked No. 2 all-time on the program's indoor and outdoor lists for high jump.
Conrad graduated in May with a 3.65 GPA and a degree in Recreation and Sports Management. She ran personal bests this season in the 5k (cross country) – 21:21.5, 3,000 meters (indoor) – 11:16.71 and 3,000 steeplechase (outdoor) – 12:10.28. She was an eight-time Academic All-NSIC Team member and an eight-time NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence honoree.
Freed, a Social Studies Education major, carries a 3.79 cumulative GPA. She ran to a new personal best in the 10,000 meters this outdoor season (39:24.50). She is a six-time Academic All-NSIC Team member and a six -time NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence honoree.
Martinez-Rodriguez graduated with a 3.94 cumulative grade point average and a degree in Criminal Justice. She ran to a new personal best in the 200 meters (28.45) in her first year as a Husky after spending one year at Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain) and two at Gregorian Court (N.J.)
For more information about CSC Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com.
CSC Release (web) | Complete List of Honorees (pdf)
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Track & Field / Cross Country, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The Academic All-District® Track & Field/Cross Country teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the track/course/in the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
To be eligible for the CSC Academic All-District® Track & Field/Cross Country teams, a student-athlete must have a 3.50 cumulative GPA or higher in both undergraduate and graduate studies (if applicable), in at least their second year of competition at the collegiate level and ranked in the top 50 in their region in at least one single event (cross country regional meet, indoor track & field or outdoor track & field).
Breña, who completed her undergraduate degree with a 3.88 cumulative grade point average, recently graduated with a master's in Clinical Exercise Physiology and a 3.86 graduate GPA. This season, she used her final season of collegiate eligibility during the outdoor season after using the indoor season to train. She won the high jump at three meets and finished second at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Earlier this year, she earned the NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award. She was a two-time NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships qualifier (All-American at the 2023 Outdoor meet), two-time USTFCCCA All-Central Region honoree, two-time All-NSIC honoree, eight-time regular season meet winner in the high jump for the Huskies. She was also named NSIC Field Athlete to Watch for SCSU (Outdoor 2023) and the SCSU Wolters Kluwer Athletes of the Month in February 2023. She closed her career ranked No. 2 all-time on the program's indoor and outdoor lists for high jump.
Conrad graduated in May with a 3.65 GPA and a degree in Recreation and Sports Management. She ran personal bests this season in the 5k (cross country) – 21:21.5, 3,000 meters (indoor) – 11:16.71 and 3,000 steeplechase (outdoor) – 12:10.28. She was an eight-time Academic All-NSIC Team member and an eight-time NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence honoree.
Freed, a Social Studies Education major, carries a 3.79 cumulative GPA. She ran to a new personal best in the 10,000 meters this outdoor season (39:24.50). She is a six-time Academic All-NSIC Team member and a six -time NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence honoree.
Martinez-Rodriguez graduated with a 3.94 cumulative grade point average and a degree in Criminal Justice. She ran to a new personal best in the 200 meters (28.45) in her first year as a Husky after spending one year at Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain) and two at Gregorian Court (N.J.)
For more information about CSC Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com.
CSC Release (web) | Complete List of Honorees (pdf)
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Track & Field / Cross Country, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
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