Eighty-two Track and Field Athletes Selected to Academic All-MWC Team

PROVO -- Eighty-two athletes from the BYU men’s and women’s track and field teams were honored for their academic success by being named to the 2010 Academic All-Mountain West Conference Team on Tuesday.

The women’s team had the most selections of any BYU women’s sports with 56. Meanwhile, the men’s team led all Cougar men’s sports with 26 selections.

“It’s always important to do well academically, especially since BYU is a tough academic institution,” said BYU men’s track coach Mark Robison. “The reason these kids are here is to do well academically, they are much more focused on school.”

The MWC Outdoor Track and Field Student-Athlete of the Year Mindy McClurkin earned her second-consecutive Academic All-MWC selection. Senior hurdler Kevin Ahlstrom earned his third-consecutive selection, while senior Sarah Frey earned her fourth selection. McClurkin, Ahlstrom and Frey are among 30 seniors being recognized for their success in the classroom.

BYU led the conference with 149 total selections. Other team contributions included the following: baseball (9), men’s basketball (3), women’s basketball (3), men’s golf (5), women’s golf (3), softball (2), men’s swimming and diving (16), women’s swimming and diving (18), men’s tennis (3), women’s tennis (5).

A total of 760 student-athletes were named to the spring 2010 Academic All-MWC team, the second most in MWC history. The record number of selections is 772, set in 2009.

In order for a student-athlete to be eligible for selection, he or she must have completed at least one academic term at the member institution while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better, and be a starter or significant contributor on their athletic team.

Men's Track and Field
Name                  Year      Major
Adams, Joshua         Junior    Biology
Ahlstrom, Kevin       Senior    Electrical Engineering
Bahr, Alden           Senior    Spanish
Barber, Colby         Junior    Exercise Science
Beisinger, Kevin      Senior    Neuroscience
Bettis, Phillip       Senior    Exercise Science
Birkeland, Brett      Junior    Special Education Premajor
Brown, Tyler          Freshman  Mechanical Engineering Pre-Professional
Emrich, Tanner        Senior    Construction Management
Harrison, Robert      Senior    Civil Engineering
Heiner, James         Senior    Advertising
Heiner, Trevor        Senior    Strategy
Holgate, David        Junior    History
Kotter, Jonathan      Graduate  Student Law
Lawson, Daniel        Senior    Manufacturing Engineering Technology
Merriman, Ryan        Senior    Political Science
Nelson, Jonathan      Sophomore Applied Statistics and Analytics
Ogden, Nathan         Senior    Tax
Payne, Bryan          Senior    Exercise Science
Powell, Aaron         Senior    Political Science
Reno, Chris           Junior    History
Robinson, Collin      Senior    Finance
Skidmore, Robert      Junior    English
Speirs, Joshua        Junior    Biology
Waite, Ryan           Freshman  Undeclared
Walker, Lance         Senior    Strategy 
Women's Track and Field
Name                  Year      Major
Allen, Carly          Sophomore Special Education Premajor
Andrews, Katy         Junior    Exercise and Wellness
Ballard, Catherine    Sophomore Exercise and Wellness
Blauer, Diana         Junior    Elementary Education
Brown, Carolyn        Sophomore Sociology
Bushman, Shanie       Senior    Mathematics
Callister, Michelle   Freshman  Undeclared
Chipman, Megan        Freshman  Mathematics Education
Christensen, Alyssa   Senior    Spanish
Christensen, Kendra   Freshman  Undeclared
Clark, Nichole        Senior    Mechanical Engineering
Clark, Coriann        Freshman  Undeclared
Clark, Karin          Senior    Exercise Science
Cox, Katie            Junior    Civil Engineering
Drury, Lisa           Freshman  Undeclared
Dzalbe, Madara        Senior    European Studies
Dzienziel, Ashley     Senior    Exercise Science
Eddy, Candace         Sophomore Special Education Premajor
Edwards, Sarah        Junior    Elementary Education Premajor
Fisher, Rachel        Freshman  Pre-Management Core
Forester, Krystel     Junior    Spanish
Fotu, Tipaleli        Senior    English
Frey, Sarah           Senior    Dietetics
Giddings, Porshe      Junior    Communications Premajor
Keltner, Melissa      Freshman  Undeclared
Kent-Johnston, Hannah Senior    History
Keys, Tamra           Junior    Elementary Education
Kussee, Tayla         Freshman  Undeclared
Lange, Rachel         Sophomore Special Education Premajor
Laurent, Michaelanne  Sophomore English
Lowder, Jenna         Senior    Advertising
Manwill, Melissa      Sophomore Illustration
Mazan, Sandra         Graduate  Student Law
McAllister, Diane     Sophomore Special Education Premajor
McClurkin, Mindy      Senior    Public Health Education
Measom, Kylie         Sophomore Biology
Nielsen, Nicole       Sophomore Music Premajor Program
Norberg, Shayna       Sophomore Undeclared
Otis, Amy             Senior    School Health Education
Page, Emily           Senior    Marriage, Family, and Human Development
Rapp, Amelia          Senior    Chemical Engineering
Rencher, Ashley       Freshman  Athletic Training
Robins, Mindy         Senior    Exercise Science
Shields, Erica        Junior    Exercise Science
Sowards, Lindsey      Freshman  Spanish
Stewart, Nachelle     Sophomore Elementary Education
Stewart, Natalie      Junior    School Health Education
Swanson, Katherine    Sophomore Pre-Management Core
Taylor, Chelsea       Sophomore Athletic Training
Thayer, Sharissa      Junior    Exercise Science
Thomas, Ashlee        Sophomore Statistical Science
Wagner, Angela        Senior    Broadcast Journalism
Winston, Kira         Sophomore Early Childhood Education
Woodall, Cassandra    Sophomore Undeclared
Wynn, Loren           Freshman  Undeclared
Yingling, Sarah       Junior    Exercise and Wellness