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Women’s Track & Field has Five Named CSC Academic All-District
6/2/2023 2:31:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
HOUSTON – Rice women's track and field athletes Alyssa Balandran, Erna Gunnarsdottir, Tara Simpson-Sullivan, Lina Spjut and Josie Taylor have been named Academic All-District by the College Sports Communications, the organization announced Wednesday afternoon.
Balandran, a senior from Katy, Texas, is a four-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and C-USA Academic Medal honoree, while also being named to the 2021-22 C-USA All-Academic Team and the 2021-22 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team. She holds a 4.00 for her visiting post bacc and graduated with a 3.91 in her undergrad studies in psychology and kinesiology last spring. This season, Balandran placed first in the 1500-meter at the 2023 C-USA Outdoor Championships while finishing second in the 800-meter. She was part of Rice's DMR team that won at the 2023 C-USA Indoor Championships.
Gunnarsdottir, a senior from Mosfellsbaer, Iceland, has a 3.91 in her Master of Global Affairs program. She was a 2022 USTFCCCA All-Academic (three-time honoree) and is a five-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree. Gunnarsdottir is a five-time C-USA champion, winning the shot put at the indoor championship while placing second earlier this month at the outdoor championship. She was a 2023 NCAA Indoor First Team All-American and is also a two-time Second Team All-American. Gunnarsdottir most recently qualified for the 2023 NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, after a 12th-place showing in shot put at the NCAA West Prelims.
Simpson-Sullivan, a junior from Penrith, England, holds a 3.59 in Sports Management. She is a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Team member and has been named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll for three-straight years. Simpson-Sullivan is a six-time C-USA champion and swept the indoor/outdoor C-USA Championship titles for the weight/hammer throw. She is a three-time Second Team All-American and was a First Team All-American during the 2021 outdoor season. Simpson-Sullivan will be competing in the NCAA Championships next week in Austin, Texas, following a fourth-place finish in hammer throw at the NCAA West Prelims.
Spjut, a senior from Cypress, Texas, is a 2022-23 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree. She currently holds a 3.61 GPA in her Masters of Computer Science. Spjut recently had the clinching points to seal Rice's first outdoor conference title since 2016 at the C-USA Outdoor Championships. She finished second in the 5,000-meter with a personal best time of 16:51.73 while also taking an eighth-place finish in the 10,000-meter.
Taylor, a sophomore from Cambridge, New Zealand, is a 2021-22 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and a 2021-22 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honoree. She currently has a 3.57 GPA in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences. Taylor won the high jump title at the 2022 C-USA Indoor Championships and took eighth at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships, earning First Team All-American honors. This year, she finished second at the 2023 C-USA Outdoor Championships and took 13th at the NCAA West Prelims.
Balandran, a senior from Katy, Texas, is a four-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and C-USA Academic Medal honoree, while also being named to the 2021-22 C-USA All-Academic Team and the 2021-22 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team. She holds a 4.00 for her visiting post bacc and graduated with a 3.91 in her undergrad studies in psychology and kinesiology last spring. This season, Balandran placed first in the 1500-meter at the 2023 C-USA Outdoor Championships while finishing second in the 800-meter. She was part of Rice's DMR team that won at the 2023 C-USA Indoor Championships.
Gunnarsdottir, a senior from Mosfellsbaer, Iceland, has a 3.91 in her Master of Global Affairs program. She was a 2022 USTFCCCA All-Academic (three-time honoree) and is a five-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree. Gunnarsdottir is a five-time C-USA champion, winning the shot put at the indoor championship while placing second earlier this month at the outdoor championship. She was a 2023 NCAA Indoor First Team All-American and is also a two-time Second Team All-American. Gunnarsdottir most recently qualified for the 2023 NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, after a 12th-place showing in shot put at the NCAA West Prelims.
Simpson-Sullivan, a junior from Penrith, England, holds a 3.59 in Sports Management. She is a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Team member and has been named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll for three-straight years. Simpson-Sullivan is a six-time C-USA champion and swept the indoor/outdoor C-USA Championship titles for the weight/hammer throw. She is a three-time Second Team All-American and was a First Team All-American during the 2021 outdoor season. Simpson-Sullivan will be competing in the NCAA Championships next week in Austin, Texas, following a fourth-place finish in hammer throw at the NCAA West Prelims.
Spjut, a senior from Cypress, Texas, is a 2022-23 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree. She currently holds a 3.61 GPA in her Masters of Computer Science. Spjut recently had the clinching points to seal Rice's first outdoor conference title since 2016 at the C-USA Outdoor Championships. She finished second in the 5,000-meter with a personal best time of 16:51.73 while also taking an eighth-place finish in the 10,000-meter.
Taylor, a sophomore from Cambridge, New Zealand, is a 2021-22 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and a 2021-22 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honoree. She currently has a 3.57 GPA in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences. Taylor won the high jump title at the 2022 C-USA Indoor Championships and took eighth at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships, earning First Team All-American honors. This year, she finished second at the 2023 C-USA Outdoor Championships and took 13th at the NCAA West Prelims.
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Distance
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