From Emory University Athletics
The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) released their 2015-16 Academic All-District teams in men's and women's cross country/track and field on Thursday afternoon with a total of eight Emory student-athletes being chosen.
The Emory men's team saw five athletes recognized in seniors Lukas Mees and Jacob Seigel and a trio of sophomores in Max Brown, Daniel Pietsch and Benjamin Rogin. On the women's side, seniors Alexandra Aiello and Julie Williamson were selected as well as former cross country runner Elise Viox.
Mees, a Psychology major from Marion, IA with a 3.92 grade-point average, is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District and was named a 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-American. With the track team, Mees is a two-time UAA Outdoor Champion in the 3000m Steeplechase and will be competing in Saturday's final at the National Championships, looking to build on his 17th place finish at last year's Nationals. Earlier this Mees broke his own record in the 3000m Steeplechase with a time of 9:03.27. During the 2016 indoor season, he was an All-UAA Finalist in the 5000m Run, taking third. As a member of the cross country team, Mees was a 2015 UAA First Team honoree as well being named the 2015 USTFCCCA South/Southeast Region Athlete of the Year. In his career, he has been named the UAA Athlete of the Week five times and has been an UAA All-Academic Team selection in the fall, winter and spring in each eligible season.
Seigel, a Philosophy major carrying a 3.88 GPA, was a three-time UAA Outdoor Champion in the Discus from 2014-2016. At the 2016 UAA Outdoor Championships, Seigel added an All-UAA finish in the shot put, placing second and during the 2016 Indoor UAA Championships, he was third in the shot put event. In his career, Seigel was a three-time UAA All-Academic Team selection in both the winter and spring and was honored as the UAA Field Athlete of the Week twice.
Brown, a Physics major with a 3.55 GPA, was Emory's first ever All-American in the one mile run during the 2016 indoor season, finishing eighth in the event. At the 2016 UAA Outdoor Championships, Brown was an All-UAA Finalist in the 1500m Run with a third place showing and during the 2015 Indoor UAA Championships, he was part of the second place Distance Medley Relay which registered a school record time. He is also a 2015 Outdoor All-UAA Finalist in the 4x400m Relay, has been chosen as the UAA Track Athlete of the Week once and is a UAA All-Academic Team selection.
Pietsch, a 2016 national outdoor qualifier in the 400m Dash has a decorated resume in only two years with the program. During the indoor season, Pietsch was an All-American in the 400m, placing 2nd at the 2016 NCAA Championships. He captured the UAA 400m title in his two seasons, was a 2016 All-UAA Finalist in 4x400m Relay and was selected as the 2016 USTFCCCA Regional Athlete of the Year. In his two years competing outdoors, Pietsch was a 2015 All-American in the 400m (8th), a two-time UAA Champion in the 400m, posting a UAA record in both events. At the 2016 UAA Championships, he was an All-UAA Finalist in the 200m (2nd) and in his career he is two-time 4x100 Relay All-UAA Finalist and two-time 4x400 Relay All-UAA Finalist. In addition, Pietsch in his freshman season added UAA Rookie of the Year kudos in both the indoor and outdoor seasons. In the classroom, he owns a 3.39 majoring in Economics and was UAA All-Academic Team selection for both the winter and spring.
Rogin, a Pre-Business major with a 3.89 GPA, was the 2016 Outdoor UAA 110m Hurdles Champion and the 2015 Indoor 60m Hurdles Champion. At the 2016 UAA Indoor Championships, Rogin was an All-UAA Finalist in the 60m Hurdles (3rd) and in the previous year was an All-UAA Finalist in the 110m Hurdles (3rd). Rogin owns the 2nd fastest indoor 60m Hurdles time in Emory history (8.33) and is a UAA All-Academic Team selection for both the winter and spring.
Aiello, a Mathematics major with a 3.73 GPA, was a 2013 All-American in the indoor 4x400m Relay (7th) and at the 2016 UAA Indoor Championships, was named the Track Performer of the Year after winning the triple jump and placing second in the long jump. At the 2016 UAA Outdoor Championships, Aiello claimed title in the long jump event and added All-UAA honors in the 4x100m Relay (2nd) and triple jump (3rd). As a freshman, she was part of the 2013 Indoor UAA 4x400m Relay Champion. A two-time UAA Field Athlete of the Week selection, Aiello has also been named to the UAA All-Academic Team selection in the winter and spring in each eligible season.
Williamson, a Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology major with a 3.94 GPA, is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District and was named a 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-American. Over the course of her track career, she holds the Emory school record in both the indoor 800m Run (2:12.10) and the outdoor 800m Run (2:10.71) and is a six-time Outdoor All-UAA finalist and five-time Indoor All-UAA finisher. This weekend, she will competing in her fourth NCAA Championships this weekend after qualifying in the 800m event and earlier this year during the indoor season, Williamson placed ninth at the NCAA Championships in the 800m. In addition, as a freshman, she was part of the 2013 UAA Outdoor Championship team in the 4x400m Relay. Williamson is a three-time UAA Track Athlete of the Week, a UAA All-Academic Team selection and was also a member of Emory cross country team.
Viox, who last competed with the Emory cross country team in the fall, graduated in the winter with a 3.64 GPA in Biology and Human Health and was named a recipient of the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient in Fall of 2015. As a senior, Viox was selected as the USTFCCCA South/Southeast Region Cross Country Athlete of the Year and was an All-UAA Second Team selection. In both 2014 and 2015, Viox was a South/Southeast All-Region Finisher and finished 50th at the 2015 NCAA Championships with a personal-best time of 22:01. In her career, she was named the UAA Runner of the Week three-times, all as a senior in 2015 and was a UAA All-Academic Team selection in all eligible years as well as a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honoree.
Voting for the Academic All-District team is conducted by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Emory's representatives are District 5 selections from Division III institutions comprised from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
The honor is awarded annually to student athletes who have excelled both academically and athletically. To be eligible, a nominee must have reached sophomore academic and athletic standing at his/her current institution, carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.3 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) and be a starter or key reserve.
By virtue of being selected to the Capital One Academic All-District Team, all eight Emory representatives will advance to the national ballot for the Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected in late June.