Trojans Lead Nation with Four Academic All-District Selections
CoSIDA Academic All-District Men's Track and Cross Country Teams | TU Honors Page
UPLAND, Ind. – The Taylor University men's cross country and track and field programs hauled in four CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-District nods recently, tying for the most of any institution in the nation on any level.
Taylor's four honors were the most of any school at the NAIA or NCAA Division I levels, and matched North Central, Washington and MIT of NCAA Division III and Colorado School of Mines at the NCAA Division II level for the top amount.
Caleb Anthony, Ben Byrd, Daniel Gerber and Josh Roth claimed four of the 12 spots on the NAIA District II Team, which consists of student-athletes from the states of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.
The CoSIDA Academic All-District award is designed to recognize student-athletes for outstanding achievements in the classroom, as well as in the area of their competition. In order to be eligible for the honor, an athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30, must have reached sophomore status academically with at least one full year at their current institution and must have participated in over half of their team's competitions as a key contributor during the current season.
Student-athletes are nominated for the award by their institution's Sports Information Department and voted on by members of College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Anthony collected a second-straight CoSIDA Academic All-District nod with a 3.32 GPA in computer science. The junior and former NAIA National Champion highlighted his 2019 campaign with five All-Crossroads League showings, a trio of CL Championships, one new program record and his sixth NAIA All-American honor.
Byrd earned CoSIDA Academic All-District attention for the third year in a row with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.96 in finance and minors in math and computer science. The senior raced to four All-Crossroads League honors during the 2018-2019 year, earned a pair of NAIA All-American nods and was named TU's Senior Male Athlete of the Year.
Gerber made the list in his first year of eligibility, posting a 3.51 GPA in political science, philosophy and economics. The sophomore capped his second season by winning the CL Championship in the 1,500 meters in May, earned a trio of All-CL honors during indoor and outdoor season and raced to his second NAIA All-American accolade.
Roth also claimed Academic All-District honors in his first year of eligibility with a 3.77 GPA in mathematics. The sophomore earned four All-Crossroads League honors over three seasons during the 2018-2019 year, claimed three CL Championships, set two new Crossroads League records and broke one Taylor program record in his second season in Upland.
The Taylor men's cross country and track program has now claimed 19 Academic All-District honors over the past five years, while the four awards this spring combined with five from the women's program give TU 28 awards during the 2018-2019 year.
Anthony, Byrd, Gerber and Roth will now advance to the national ballot for the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team, which will be announced on June 24.