NEW ORLEANS – The UCF track and field team and five of its student-athletes earned all-academic honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Thursday.
The Knights earned all-academic honors as a team for the second straight year and the 10th time since 2002. Rayniah Jones repeated as an all-academic athlete and was joined by Samieryah Bradwell, Latasha Smith, Selena Wright and Alexis Woodley.
UCF earned the team accolade with a cumulative GPA of 3.40.
Individually, five members of the squad were among the more than 1100 female student-athletes that garnered academic honors from the USTFCCCA.
The five were recognized for a combination of excellence athletically and academically. To qualify for the award, each student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher and have met one of the following athletic standards:
- For the indoor season, a student-athlete must have finished the season ranked in the top 96 in any championship individual event or in the top 48 in any championship relay event for the most recent indoor season, certifiable by their place on final season performance lists on TFRRS.org.
- For the outdoor season, a student-athlete must have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Championships (including preliminary rounds).
Jones, who is majoring in criminal justice, made the most of her first outdoor campaign as a Knight. A silver performance in the 100-meter hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Championship led to First Team All-America honors for the rookie. Jones set both the UCF school and freshman records in the 100-meter hurdles with a then-personal best 12.73, which qualified her for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials where she broke her own record with a time of 12.64 to advance to the semifinals. The Miami native was named the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year after winning the 100 hurdles title and accumulating 20 points for the Knights at the outdoor championship. Jones also advanced to the NCAA East Preliminary Round in the 100-meter dash and finished 22nd in the event.
Samieryah Bradwell helped UCF advance to the NCAA East Preliminary Round as the second leg of the 4x400 relay. The Tallahassee native, who is majoring in sport and exercise science, helped the Knights finish 19th in the preliminary round.
A criminal justice major, Latasha Smith advanced to her first NCAA East Preliminary Round in the 400-meter dash. The West Palm Beach, Fla., native closed out her first outdoor campaign with a collegiate best 53.75 in the event, which moved her up to third on UCF's all-time outdoor performers list in the 400.
In her first season as a Knight, Alexis Woodley gave UCF a pair of Knights in the 100-meter hurdles at the NCAA East Preliminary Round. The Chesapeake, Va., native ran a personal best 13.24 to finish fifth at The American Championship and advance to her third consecutive preliminary round. Woodley, who transferred to UCF for her final season of eligibility, is pursuing a Master's degree in interdisciplinary studies.
Selena Wright, who is pursing a Master's degree in health administration, became the first Knight to qualify for the NCAA East Preliminary Round in the 400-meter hurdles since 2017. The Elgin, Texas, native ran 1:00.29 to advance to the finals at The American Championship.
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