ORLANDO - While her performances on the track continue to turn heads, it’s her prowess in the classroom that has solidified her place as a model for Knights to come.
Voted upon by the league’s head coaches, Rayniah Jones has been named the 2024 Big 12 Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year, announced Wednesday by the conference office.
The award is given to student-athletes in each spring sport who excel in both athletic and academic endeavors. Jones, the first UCF athlete to garner the honor, recently concluded her historic farewell campaign, commencing her time in Black and Gold at the United States Olympic Trials a week ago.
While her brilliance in the hurdles and on the track makes for an obvious leader, Jones has long emphasized the importance of academic success as an important step for her career after athletics.
The Miami native graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in May of 2023, boasting an impressive 3.819 GPA. Ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, Jones decided to return to UCF and pursue a master’s degree in political science.
In the last 12 months, Jones has secured a Big 12 title and a third-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships to go along with a pair of strong semesters in the classroom, attaining a 3.96 GPA.
The announcement marks the third academic honor that Jones has secured since nationals, amassing College Sports Communicators (CSC) All-District and Academic All-Big 12 selections.