ORLANDO - The United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Monday afternoon that the UCF track and field program has been tabbed an All-Academic team, as the squad accumulated an impressive 3.44 GPA this season.
Moreover, five Knights secured individual honors that honor prowess both on the track and in the classroom, with student-athletes being awarded the recognition based on individual GPA (at least a 3.25) and event ranking.
Athletically, student-athletes had to have finished among the top 96 nationally in at least one individual event or among the top 48 in a relay event. As for the outdoor season, eligible athletes had to have qualified for the preliminary rounds in either the east or west region, while multi-athletes had to have been among the top 48 in their respective regions.
Holly Cassels | Kinesiology
In her final collegiate campaign, the Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, native continued to raise her tally in both the pentathlon and heptathlon, headlined by a career-high 23rd-overall finish in the heptathlon during the outdoor season. Her 5,252-point performance at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship ranks second in program history.
Asherah Collins | General Studies
The senior boasted her best campaign to date, becoming the first athlete in program history to qualify for both horizontal jump events at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June. In Eugene, Oregon, she secured a pair of second team All-America honors with a 15th-place finish in the long jump, followed by a 13th-place finish in the triple jump.
Natalia Madison | Kinesiology
Joining her multis partner, Cassels, Madison has also raised her performances during the program's inaugural Big 12 campaign. The Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, native concluded the indoor season ranked 67th in the nation with her career-best 3,794-point performance.
Rayniah Jones | Political Science MS
The 2024 Big 12 Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year collects her fourth academic honor of the season. Jones’ stellar farewell campaign concluded with her third-overall finish in the 100m hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. While the Miami native qualified athletically in multiple events, her continued determination in the classroom has made the 10-time All-American a model for classes to come.
Adaobi Tabugbo | Healthcare Administration MS
The BYU transfer instantly made an impact on head coach Dana Boone and her squad during the indoor season, placing third in the 60m hurdles at the Big 12 Indoor Championship and 22nd overall in the nation. Similar to her hurdles partner, Jones, Tabugbo is pursuing a master’s degree at UCF as she is set to embark on her final collegiate campaign in 2025.