June 2, 2020

Trojans Lead NAIA with Four Academic All-District Selections

UPLAND, Ind. – The Taylor University women's cross country and track and field programs earned four College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District II recognitions recently, tying for the most of any institution in the NAIA.

Taylor Bluemel, Sarah Harden, Abbey Brennan and Giovanna Domene claimed four-of-11 spots on the NAIA Track and Field and Cross Country Academic All-District II Team, which was made up of student-athletes from the states of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Bluemel followed her 2018 and 2019 Academic All-American selection with a third-straight All-District nod with a GPA of 3.96 in elementary education. The senior closed her collegiate career qualifying for NAIA Nationals in both cross country and indoor track during the 2019-2020 seasons.

Harden claimed her second CoSIDA Academic All-District award with a 3.77 GPA in exercise science. The junior earned All-American honors with her fifth-place finish at NAIA Cross Country Nationals. Harden also collected a pair of All-Crossroads League awards and competed at indoor nationals.

Brennan made the list in her first year of eligibility, posting a 3.76 grade-point average in political science, philosophy and economics. The sophomore earned All-American honors with a fifth-place finish in the 4x800-meter relay at the 2020 Indoor National Championships. Brennan helped the 4x8 squad break the TU program record, and collected All-Crossroads League honors in the distance medley relay.

Domene also collected her first CoSIDA Academic All-District award in her first year of eligibility, posting a 3.78 GPA in management and marketing. The sophomore earned All-American honors with a fifth-place finish in the 4x800-meter relay at the 2020 Indoor National Championships. Domene earned two All-Crossroads League honors, broke TU's indoor program record in the 4x8 and competed at cross country nationals during the 2019-2020 seasons.

The Taylor women's cross country and track programs has now claimed 24 Academic All-District honors over the past six years. The four awards this spring combined with three from the men's program give TU 40 CoSIDA Academic All-District awards in 2019-2020 to lead all colleges in the NAIA and NCAA.

Bluemel, Harden, Brennan and Domene will now advance to the national ballot for the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team, which will be announced in late June.

The CoSIDA Academic All-District award is designed to recognize student-athletes for outstanding achievements in the classroom, as well as on the court or field of play. 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 the 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 CoSIDA. Due to COVID-19, the 2020 teams were selected based on career accomplishments, in addition to the criteria listed above.