Washington University Lands Eight on Academic All-District Track & Field/Cross Country Teams

St. Louis, Mo., June 1, 2012 – Eight Washington University in St. Louis student-athletes were selected to the 2012 Capital One First-Team Academic All-District Five Men’s and Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Teams, as announced Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The Washington U. women had five student-athletes earn Academic All-District honors - seniors Erica Jackey, Elizabeth Phillips and Molly Wawrzyniak, and sophomores Anna Etherington and Sarah Fisher. Meanwhile, seniors Michael Burnstein, Tyler Jackson and Justin Pieper each earned the honor for the Washington U. men.

Burnstein is the first three-time cross country All-American in school history. He earned his third-straight All-America honors at the 2011 Cross Country Championships with a career-best time to finish 10th. Burnstein raced to All-America honors in the 10,000 meters for the third year in a row at the 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He graduated in May with a 3.53 GPA, and a degree in urban studies with entrepreneurship and political science minors.

Etherington earned All-America honors by finishing fourth in the women’s pole vault at both the 2012 Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. She set the school record in the outdoor pole vault (4.01m) and posted the second-best indoor mark in school history (3.85m) during her sophomore season. Etherington holds a 3.57 GPA while majoring in systems engineering.

Fisher finished 22nd to earn All-America honors at the 2011 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships. She won the conference title in the indoor 5,000 at the 2012 championships, and broke her own school record in the 3,000 steeplechase during the outdoor season. Fisher, a psychology major with a minor in public health, holds a 3.85 GPA.

Jackey finished an impressive senior season by earning six All-America honors and setting five school records in 2011-12. She placed fourth at the 2011 Cross Country Championships to lead Washington U. to its first national title in school history. Jackey finished as the runner-up in the mile and distance medley relay at the 2012 Indoor Track & Field Championships. She raced to All-America honors in the 800, 1,500 and 5,000 at the 2012 Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Jackey graduated in May with a degree in environmental studies, while carrying a 3.87 GPA.

Jackson became the first NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field National Champion in Washington University history by winning the 60 hurdles at the 2012 Championships. He set the school record and posted the second-fastest time in NCAA Division III history with his winning time of 7.93. A three-time All-American, Jackson finished his career ranked in the top-two in school history in both the 60 hurdles and the 110 hurdles. Jackson graduated in May with a 3.45 GPA while majoring in biology with a psychology minor.

Pieper set a school record in the men’s high jump during the 2012 outdoor season. He cleared 2.05m, which qualified him for the 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. A two-time University Athletic Association (UAA) champion in the outdoor high jump, he also finished as the runner-up at the 2012 UAA Indoor Championships. Pieper maintained a 3.54 GPA and earned his degree in biology.

Phillips is the first-ever three-time NCAA Elite 89 Award winner and finished her career as the most decorated track & field student-athlete in school history. A seven-time indoor and outdoor track & field All-American, she ranks in the top-three in Washington University history in five different indoor and outdoor events, including holding the outdoor 1,500 school record. Phillips graduated in May with a degree in biomedical engineering and a 4.00 GPA.

Wawrzyniak ran a career-best time to finish 23rd individually and earn All-America honors at the 2011 Cross Country Championships. She also won the conference title in the 3,000 steeplechase at the 2012 outdoor championships, and advanced to the final of the event at the 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships. Wawrzyniak maintained a 3.59 GPA and graduated with a degree in archaeology in May.

As First-Team Academic All-District selections, the eight Washington U. student-athletes will be among the nominees for Academic All-America honors, which will be announced on Tuesday, June 19. In order to receive Academic All-District honors, a student-athlete must demonstrate success on the playing field and in the classroom, with both academic and athletic achievements taken into consideration. The student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA and be at least a sophomore in academic and athletic standing.

Note: GPAs listed are cumulative through the 2011 fall semester.