The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced that Rhodes Lynx Julia Goss, Kim Tryon, Sandy Henin and Taylor Stephens have been named to their All-Academic Team for the 2009 Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field season. To be eligible for this award, individuals must carry a 3.3 or higher cumulative grade point average and also have qualified either provisionally or automatically for the Division III NCAA National Championships. All four Rhodes athletes had outstanding track seasons, but epitomized the term “student-athlete” by also excelling in the classroom.
Julia Goss, a senior Biology major from St. Louis, MO long jumped 17'11.5” at the 2009 SCAC Championship to not only defend her SCAC title, but her NCAA qualifying effort also helped the Lynx capture their second consecutive SCAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship. An all around talent, Goss also lead the winning 4x400m relay and ran in the 4x100m relay that placed second at the conference meet.
Also critical at the SCAC meet was the performance posted by senior Kim Tryon, a Business Administration major from Gulf Breeze, FL who cleared 11'4.5” in the pole vault to win her third conference title. However, it was her jump of 11'11.75” at the University of Memphis Invitational that placed her 19th on the NCAA performance list and broke her own school record of 11'7”.
Sandy Henin, a junior Biology major from Cordova, TN, smashed her personal record in the 800m at the Ole Miss Open posting a time of 2:13.71 and qualifying for the NCAA Championships. She went on to improve that time to 2:13.27 at North Central's Gregory Invitational, a performance which ranked 17th in Division III and was high enough on the provisional list to garner her a berth into the 2009 National Championships held at Marietta College in Marietta, OH. At NCAAs Henin placed 4th in her heat with a time of 2:13.73, only .89 seconds away from qualifying for the finals.
Sophomore Taylor Stephens, whose phenomenal freshman year included All-American honors at the 2008 Cross Country National Championship, had an outstanding outdoor track season as well, posting her NCAA qualifying mark in the 10,000m at the Washington University Invitational. Her time of 37:11.40 broke the Rhodes school record by a minute and thirteen seconds and ranked her 30th in the country in the longest event contested on the track. Stephens, a Business Administration major from Southlake, TX, was one of only three freshmen athletes to qualify for the 10,000.
These four athletes all return to the team for another year, ready to improve on last season's performances. Congratulations to Kim, Julia, Sandy and Taylor for their accomplishments on the track and in the classroom, their recognition by the USFTCCCA is much deserved.
