Tech Track & Field Earns Multiple USTFCCCA Academic Honors
NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Michigan Tech men's and women's track and field teams combined to earn multiple U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association postseason academic awards. Both the men's and women's team earned academic team honors while Ashley Veale was an All-Academic honoree for the women with Jason Saliga, Kyle Petermann, and Jake Jurkowski picking up individual All-Academic accolades for the men.
The Tech women finished with a combined team GPA of 3.55, which was tops in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and sixth overall in the nation. The men had a combined GPA of 3.24 and were second in the GLIAC (13th nationally) in that category. In order for teams to be recognized for these awards, they needed to have a combined GPA above 3.0.
To qualify for USTFCCCA individual 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.
Veale, a junior from Negaunee, Michigan, finished first in the 400 Hurdles three times this past season. She ranked 57th nationally in the 400m hurdles and is a biological sciences major at Tech. She was a provisional qualifier for the 400m hurdles with a season best time of 1:02.27 at the Hillsdale "Last Chance" Classic.
Saliga, a senior from Leonard, Michigan, was recently named to the CoSIDA Academic All-American 3rd Team and now adds the USTFCCCA Academic honors to this season's accomplishments. Saliga was named to the 2017 NCAA Division II U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Region Team on May 16th.
Saliga had strong performances in the 3000 Meter Steeplechase during the outdoor track season, recording a career best time of 9:05.83 at the Augustana College Viking Olympics on his way to a first place finish. The time also made him a provisional qualifier for the NCAA Division II Championships. Saliga was ranked 5th regionally in the Steeplechase and 25th nationally. In the classroom Saliga is a chemical engineering major.
Petermann, a senior who hails from Clintonville, Wisconsin, was recently selected for the GLIAC Commissioner's Award which also recognizes academic and athletic performances. Petermann qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2017 for the second straight year, after finishing 14th at the national meet in the Discus Throw a year ago. Petermann turned in his best performance of the 2017 season at the GLIAC Championships in May. Petermann's throw covered a distance of 52.83m which also generated eight points in the team standings for Michigan Tech. By virtue of his second place performance, Petermann earned 2nd Team All-GLIAC honors as a medalist in this this year's championship. He is a software engineering major and ranked 15th nationally in the discus to close the season.
Jurkowski, a senior from Shelby Twp., Michigan, turned in two first place finishes in the pole vault this past season for the Huskies. He took home the individual title at the Hillsdale "Gina" Relays with a personal best mark of 4.76m which made him a provisional qualifier in the pole vault. His previous best was a leap of 4.65 which he had accomplished twice prior to his new personal best. Jurkowski is a mechanical engineering technology and finished the 2017 campaign ranked 46th nationally in NCAA Division II in the pole vault.
The official releases from the USTFCCCA can be viewed by clicking on the links below.
USTFCCCA All-Academic (Women)
USTFCCCA All-Academic (Men)