From Washington University Athletics

Six Washington University in St. Louis student-athletes were selected to the 2014 Capital One Academic All-District Five Men's and Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Junior Lucy Cheadle, senior Anna Etherington and junior Claire Simons each received the honor for the Washington U. women. JuniorDrew Padgett, senior Kevin Sparks and junior Brendan Stone were honored for the WUSTL men. Etherington earned the honor for the third year in a row, while Cheadle, Padgett and Sparks were recognized for the second straight year. Simons and Stone are first-time honorees.

Cheadle capped an outstanding junior year by winning the national championship in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a school-record time of 10:20.06 at the 2014 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships May 24. Her time ranks sixth all-time in NCAA Division III in the event. During the indoor track & field season, Cheadle earned All-America honors in both the 3,000 and 5,000. It was her third consecutive All-America finish in the 5,000. In the fall, she became the second runner in school history to become a three-time cross country All-American, racing to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Cheadle won the NCAA Midwest Regional, marking the first regional champion in Washington U. women's cross country history, and raced to the University Athletic Association (UAA) cross country title for the second year in a row. Cheadle, who earned Capital One Academic All-America Third Team honors in 2013, holds a 3.78 GPA while majoring in chemical engineering.

Etherington concluded her highly decorated career by winning the national championship in the pole vault at the 2014 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The six-time indoor and outdoor All-American vaulted to a school record height of 4.15 meters to claim the national title, a mark that ranks fourth all-time in NCAA Division III history. Etherington, the indoor and outdoor school-record holder, swept the indoor and outdoor UAA pole vault championships for the fourth straight year. A three-time academic all-UAA honoree, she was recognized as Washington University's 2014 W Club Distinguished Senior Athlete of the Year. A three-time Capital One Academic All-District and 2013 Academic All-America Second Team selection, Etherington graduated with a 3.67 GPA while majoring in systems engineering.

Padgett had a breakout junior season for Washington University, becoming just the second student-athlete in men's history to earn All-America honors in cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field in the same year. After finishing 25^th for All-America honors at the 2013 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, and placed seventh in the 3,000 at the 2014 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships. Padgett finished his banner year by becoming the fourth athlete in Washington U. men's track & field history to earn All-America honors in multiple events at the same championship meet. He placed fourth in the 10,000 and raced to a third-place finish in the 5,000 at the 2014 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. A seven-time UAA Athlete of the Week in 2014, Padgett also was named the National Athlete of the Week twice during cross country. He won the 2013 UAA Cross Country Championship and set school records in the indoor 3,000, and outdoor 5,000 and 10,000 in 2014. A five-time academic all-UAA selection, Padgett has a 3.63 GPA while majoring in psychology.

Simons qualified for the NCAA Championships in the pole vault in both the indoor and outdoor seasons in 2014. She finished 10^th at the Indoor Championships and 12^th outdoors in the event. Simons was the UAA runner-up in the pole vault both indoors and outdoors to Etherington, bringing her career total to five all-UAA finishes. She ranks third in school history on both the indoor and outdoor pole vault performance lists, and was named the UAA Athlete of the Week Feb. 24. A four-time academic all-UAA honoree, Simons has a 3.91 GPA while majoring in chemistry.

Sparks earned his second straight All-America honor in cross country with an 18^th-place finish at the 2013 NCAA Championships. He also finished fifth at the NCAA Midwest Regional for the second year in a row, and was the UAA runner-up after winning the conference title in 2012. Sparks qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 10,000 for the second year in a row, finishing 11^th overall. He ranks third in school history in the 5,000 indoors and the 10,000 outdoors. An eight-time all-UAA track & field honoree, Sparks earned eight UAA Athlete of the Week honors in his career and was a five-time academic all-UAA selection. A 2013 Capital One Academic All-America Second Team selection, Sparks graduated with a 3.49 GPA while majoring in political science and German.

Stone raced on Washington U.'s school-record breaking distance medley relay during the 2014 indoor track & field season, barely missing All-America honors with a 10^th-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships. During the outdoor season, he won the UAA Championship in the 400 hurdles, and also raced to the UAA title as a member of Washington U.'s 1,600 relay. Stone earned four all-UAA honors in 2014, bringing his career total to eight. A five-time academic all-UAA selection, Stone holds a 3.83 GPA while majoring in chemical engineering.

In order to be selected to an Academic All-District team, a student-athlete must possess at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA and be at least a sophomore in academic and athletic standing.