CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – Illinois track and field is making waves, with 10 athletes earning College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District honors, the association announced today.

Jessica McDowell, Will Merrick, Mia Morello, Viktor Morozov, Aiden Ouimet, Sam Poglitsch, Will Rezny, Jack Roberts, Kelsey Rothas, and Amber Simpson all receive the distinction.

Amber Simpson: Hammer Throw Powerhouse

Simpson’s Big Ten and school record hammer throw of 70.21m (230-4) set at the Gary Wieneke Memorial led the Midwest region and ranked second in the country for the 2024 season. She later went on to collect All-America honors in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, with a throw of 67.73m (222-2).

Jessica McDowell: Sprinting to Success

McDowell’s 51.02 400m run at the NCAA West Preliminaries was the top time in the Midwest region. She later went faster (50.98) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, but nominations were due before the national meet. She also held the region’s second-fastest 200m (22.95) and 11th-fastest 100m (11.57).

Mia Morello and Kelsey Rothas: Vaulting to New Heights

Morello cleared the region’s fourth-best vault (4.30m (14-1 1/4)) at the NCAA West Preliminaries, while her teammate Rothas cleared the region’s 22nd-best vault (3.97m (13-0 1/4)) at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships.

Sam Poglitsch: Steeplechase Standout

Poglitsch clocked the region’s 19th-fastest 3000m steeplechase (10:32.74) at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships.

Aiden Ouimet: Decathlon Dynamo

Ouimet scored the school record and Midwest region’s second-best decathlon (7,794 points) at the 64th annual Mt. SAC Relays.

Viktor Morozov: Triple Jump Talent

Morozov leapt the region’s fourth-best triple jump (15.89m (52-1 3/4)) at the NCAA West Preliminaries to be eligible for this honor. After nominations were due, he recorded a new collegiate best in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships (15.94m (52-3 3/4)).

Will Merrick: Middle-Distance Marvel

Merrick ran the region’s 10th-fastest and program’s sixth-fastest 1500m (3:40.90) at the Fighting Illini Tune-Up.

Will Rezny: Shot Put Sensation

Rezny threw the region’s ninth-best shot put (18.32m (60-1 1/4)) at the Florida Relays.

Jack Roberts: Long-Distance Leader

Roberts clocked the region’s 20th-fastest 10,000m (29:39.55) at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships.

Eligibility Criteria for Academic All-District Honors

To be eligible for the award, a nominee must have a 3.50 GPA and be at least a sophomore academically and athletically. Eligible nominees were based off the TFRRS performance list rankings at the time of nomination. Athletes need a top-50 performance in the region in a single event (XC, indoor or outdoor) where they must be an individual performance (not a relay performance) to qualify.