There may be a new leader at the top for the Hillsdale College men's and women's track and field teams, but the standard of excellence the program has held for decades remains intact – on and off the track.
The Chargers showed that once again on Thursday, as both Hillsdale College men's and women's track and field teams received United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Awards for the 2022-23 season, head coach R.P. White's first in charge of the program. Additionally, 14 Hillsdale men's and women's athletes received individual All-Academic recognition, the most for the Chargers since the 2017-18 season.
In order to receive the Team All-Academic distinction from the USTFCCCA, programs must have an average cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher across all athletes in the program.
It's a mark both programs easily exceeded in 2022-23. The Charger men's cumulative GPA of 3.33 not only met the standard but was in the top 25 of all NCAA DII men's programs nationwide, while the women's mark of 3.44 also passed the required threshold for the honor with plenty of room to spare.
Hillsdale's individual All-Academic honorees showed the strength of the program in 2022-23, as the Chargers paired great success in the classroom with excellent achievements on the track. Hillsdale sent double-digit qualifiers to both the 2023 Indoor and Outdoor championships, earning four All-American honors, and many of those athletes also stood out in their field of study.
In order to qualify for All-Academic honors, an athlete must post a 3.25 cumulative GPA and achieve at least one provisional qualifying mark during the 2022-23 indoor and outdoor seasons.
For the Charger men, three athletes received USTFCCCA All-Academic honors. Junior Sean Fagan, who recovered from an injury that cost him almost all of his indoor season to return and post a provisional qualifying mark in the 400m hurdles outdoors, earned the honor for the second straight season, while thrower Ben Haas, who recorded provisional marks in four events and was an All-American in the weight throw at the 2023 NCAA DII Indoor Championships, also received the distinction for the second straight season.
Joining Fagan and Haas was junior Alex Mitchell, who received All-Academic honors for the first time in a season where he recorded a provisional mark in the outdoor steeplechase.
For Hillsdale's women, an impressive 11 athletes received All-Academic honors from the USTFCCCA. Hillsdale had two honorees receiving the award for the third time in their careers in junior Shura Ermakov, who was an All-American in the Outdoor 400m hurdles, and senior Margaret Scheske, who competed in three combined events at the 2023 Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
Additionally, five athletes received All-Academic recognition for the second time, including junior Liz Wamsley, who earned All-American honors in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track for Hillsdale. Also becoming repeat honorees for the Chargers were senior Gwynne Riley, who competed in the mile at the 2023 Indoor Championships, senior Dakota Stamm, who was a part of 4x400 relays that competed at both the 2023 Indoor and Outdoor Championships, sophomore Reagan Dahlquist, who competed in the high jump at the 2023 Outdoor Championships, and sophomore Reese Dragovich, who was a part of three combined relays that competed at the 2023 Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
Last but not least for the Charger women were four athletes who received their first USTFCCCA All-Academic distinction in 2023. Senior Emily Gerdin set a school record in the indoor triple jump as well as provisional mark in the event, and senior Katie Weldy (indoor weight throw and outdoor hammer throw) and sophomore Kaylee Jackson (indoor and outdoor pole vault) each earned multiple provisional marks as well. Freshman Francesca Federici, meanwhile, was a member of 4x400m relay teams that competed for the Chargers at both the 2023 Indoor and Outdoor Championships.