Women's Track and Field Win USTFCCCA Awards

USTFCCCA Release | TU Honors Page

The Trojans finished the year with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.60 on a 4.0 scale. TU was one-of-25 programs selected in the women's division.

Individually, the Trojans ranked third in the country with nine student-athletes on the team that earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors. Alex Berends, Rachel Blagg, Taylor Bluemel, Michelle Franch, Mae Elizabeth Gimre, Sarah Harden, Brianna Jordahl, Livy Schroder and Anna Souzis garnered the honors for the Purple and Gold.

Berends was a CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-America First-Team selection. On the track, she broke the 1,000-meter school record at the NAIA National Championships during the indoor season. In the spring, she set the TU record in the steeplechase and was an NAIA All-American.

Blagg was tabbed CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-District II and was a member of the 4x800-meter and distance-medley relays that received All-Crossroads League honors. The 4x800 finished in 10th at the NAIA National Championships during the indoor season. She won the 800 and 1,500-meter events at the CL Outdoor Championships and went on to place ninth in the 1,500-meters at the NAIA Championships.

Bluemel was named to the CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-District II and All-America Second-Teams during the indoor and outdoor seasons. She was an NAIA All-American in the distance-medley relay during the indoor season.

Franch finished with NAIA Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Crossroads League honors in both the indoor and outdoor campaigns.

Gimre received recognition on the CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-District II team. She finished ninth in the 3,000-meter run at the NAIA National Championships during the indoor season. During the outdoor campaign, she earned NAIA All-American honors in the steeplechase.

Harden set the Taylor record in the mile and finished as an NAIA All-American during indoor. She continued off of her success during the indoor season and tallied a result in the 5,000-meters that award her NAIA All-American Honors during the outdoor season.

Jordahl was All-Crossroads League in the weight throw in indoor. She was All-Crossroads League in the hammer and shot put during the outdoor campaign.

Schroder was impressive in the 5,000-meter event and finished in first place at the Crossroads League Indoor Championships. In the spring, she posted the second-best time in the 10,000-meter run in school history. She was an NAIA All-American in the event.

Souzis received CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-District II and All-American Second-Team honors. She was All-Crossroads League in the 4x800 during the winter. She was a member of the school record and CL Championship meet record in the relay.

Criteria for a student-athlete to be selected for the award includes holding a GPA of 3.25 or higher, achieving an "A" or "B" standard in a championship event during the indoor or outdoor season and completing at least two semesters at their respective institution.