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Men’s Track & Field Has Five Named CSC Academic All-District
6/27/2024 11:09:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
HOUSTON – Rice men's track & field athletes Ese Amata, Travis Dowd, Shaun Kerry, Matt Kumar and Ben Tijerina were all named to the 2024 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team, the organization announced.
Amata, a senior from Endicott, N.Y., graduated with a 3.51 GPA with a degree in sport management. He is now a two-time CSC Academic All-District while also being a three-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree and a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic. Amata won the 2022 C-USA Outdoor high jump title, and is a six-time All-Conference honoree. He has advanced to four NCAA West Prelims, finishing 19th this past season. Amata is tied for the school record in the indoor high jump, with a clearance of 2.18m this season.
Dowd, a graduate student from Austin, Texas, currently holds a 3.93 GPA and is working towards his master's degree in bioengineering. He is a four-time C-USA Honor Roll and four-time C-USA Academic Medal honoree. Dowd is also a two-time C-USA All-Academic Team honoree and the 2024 Rice Scholar Athlete. At the 2024 AAC Outdoor Championships, Dowd placed eighth in the 10,000m, securing the first point for the Owls en route to a third-place team finish. At the 2023 NCAA DI South Central Regional for cross country, he finished 29th.
Kerry, a senior from Driffield, England, graduated with a degree in neuroscience and psychological studies with a 3.83 GPA. He is a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic and a three-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and Academic Medal honoree. Kerry was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team last season. He won the 2023 C-USA Outdoor hammer throw title and is a five-time All-Conference honoree. This season, he advanced to his first-ever NCAA Championship meet, where he finished his career 19th. He ranks second all-time in the hammer throw and fifth all-time in the weight throw at Rice.
Kumar, a sophomore from Fulshear, Texas, currently holds a 3.74 GPA majoring in earth environment and planetary sciences. This year he was named to the Rice University President's Honor Roll. Kumar earned two All-Conference honors this season, placing second at the AAC Indoor Championships and third at the AAC Outdoor Championships. He also advanced to his first NCAA West Prelims this season, where he finished 21st. Kumar ranks eighth all-time at Rice in outdoor pole vault.
Tijerina, a sophomore from San Antonio, Texas, currently holds a 3.86 GPA, double majoring in political science and business. He was a 2023 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and Commissioner's Academic Medal honoree and a two-time Rice University President's Honor Roll honoree. At the 2024 AAC Outdoor Championships, Tijerina finished ninth in the 10,000m. During cross country season, he finished 27th at the AAC XC Championships and later finished 43rd at the NCAA DI South Central Region Championships.
Amata, a senior from Endicott, N.Y., graduated with a 3.51 GPA with a degree in sport management. He is now a two-time CSC Academic All-District while also being a three-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree and a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic. Amata won the 2022 C-USA Outdoor high jump title, and is a six-time All-Conference honoree. He has advanced to four NCAA West Prelims, finishing 19th this past season. Amata is tied for the school record in the indoor high jump, with a clearance of 2.18m this season.
Dowd, a graduate student from Austin, Texas, currently holds a 3.93 GPA and is working towards his master's degree in bioengineering. He is a four-time C-USA Honor Roll and four-time C-USA Academic Medal honoree. Dowd is also a two-time C-USA All-Academic Team honoree and the 2024 Rice Scholar Athlete. At the 2024 AAC Outdoor Championships, Dowd placed eighth in the 10,000m, securing the first point for the Owls en route to a third-place team finish. At the 2023 NCAA DI South Central Regional for cross country, he finished 29th.
Kerry, a senior from Driffield, England, graduated with a degree in neuroscience and psychological studies with a 3.83 GPA. He is a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic and a three-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and Academic Medal honoree. Kerry was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team last season. He won the 2023 C-USA Outdoor hammer throw title and is a five-time All-Conference honoree. This season, he advanced to his first-ever NCAA Championship meet, where he finished his career 19th. He ranks second all-time in the hammer throw and fifth all-time in the weight throw at Rice.
Kumar, a sophomore from Fulshear, Texas, currently holds a 3.74 GPA majoring in earth environment and planetary sciences. This year he was named to the Rice University President's Honor Roll. Kumar earned two All-Conference honors this season, placing second at the AAC Indoor Championships and third at the AAC Outdoor Championships. He also advanced to his first NCAA West Prelims this season, where he finished 21st. Kumar ranks eighth all-time at Rice in outdoor pole vault.
Tijerina, a sophomore from San Antonio, Texas, currently holds a 3.86 GPA, double majoring in political science and business. He was a 2023 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and Commissioner's Academic Medal honoree and a two-time Rice University President's Honor Roll honoree. At the 2024 AAC Outdoor Championships, Tijerina finished ninth in the 10,000m. During cross country season, he finished 27th at the AAC XC Championships and later finished 43rd at the NCAA DI South Central Region Championships.
Players Mentioned
High Jump
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
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