Team, Eight Wolverines Earn USTFCCCA All-Academic Honors
7/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
July 28, 2016
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The University of Michigan women's track and field team, along with eight individuals, received All-Academic accolades for the 2016 season, the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Thursday (July 28).
The Wolverines have been represented on this list in each of its five years (since 2012), and the eight women recognized this year gives U-M at least that number of honorees in three of the last four seasons.
Including the Scholar Athletes of the Year, a total of 910 student-athletes from 192 different institutions earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors for their combined academic and athletic accomplishments.
To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 or better and have met either of the following athletic standards: for the indoor season, a student-athlete must have finished the regular season ranked in the national top 96 in an individual event or ranked in the national top 48 (collective listing) in a relay event on the official NCAA POP list provided by TFRRS.org; for the outdoor season, a student-athlete must have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Championships (including preliminary rounds).
2016 USTFCCCA Individual All-Academic Honorees (8)
Claire Borchers (Undeclared)
Erin Finn (Biochemistry)
Gina McNamara (International Studies)
Cindy Ofili (Elementary Education)
Anna Pasternak (Psychology)
Danielle Pfeifer (Nursing)
Emily Wee (Movement Science)
Sarah Zieve (Public Policy)
With this year's announcement, Pfeifer has now earned the distinction in each of her four seasons in Maize and Blue, while Finn and Ofili have won the honor in three straight years and Pasternak in back-to-back seasons. It marks the third time overall and second consecutive year that U-M has won the accolade as a team (2012, '15).
A few notes about this year's honorees:
• This group was part of Michigan's most successful season in more than a decade, collecting both the Big Ten indoor and outdoor championships for the first time since the 2003 season. Indoors, it was U-M's first conference title paired with a top-six national finish since the 1998 season, the only other year the team has accomplished that feat.
• Ofili will represent Michigan on the international stage this summer when she competes for Team Great Britain at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
• Of the team's eight honorees, six are three-season athletes who also compete in cross country in addition to the indoor and outdoor track and field programs (Borchers, Finn, McNamara, Pasternak, Pfeifer and Zieve).
• Two of Michigan's honorees were also recognized during the cross country season (Finn, Pasternak).
• During Michigan's Big Ten Indoor Championships campaign, this group totaled 51.5 of U-M's 109-point team total, scoring across seven events.
• Finn (3,000 meters and 5,000 meters) and Pfeifer (distance medley relay) totaled three Big Ten Championships between them during the indoor season and Ofili (60-meter hurdles) won an individual national title. All three athletes also earned All-America honors in their respective events.
• During Michigan's Big Ten Outdoor Championships weekend, this group contributed 30 points toward U-M's team total of 106 and the team's 17th conference crown overall.
• Ofili (100-meter hurdles) also won a Big Ten title outdoors and went on to place fifth at the NCAA Championships for the fifth USTFCCCA All-America honor of her career.
• Ofili, Pfeifer and Wee are Michigan record-holders by virtue of their 4x400-meter relay efforts at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, where their fifth-place finish in 3:33.42 sealed a share of the title for the Maize and Blue.
• Ofili also owns Michigan records at: 60-meter hurdles, 60-meter dash, 200-meter dash (indoors), 100-meter hurdles and 100-meter dash (outdoors), while Finn owns the program's indoor 3,000 and 5,000 and outdoor 5,000 and 10,000-meter records.
Michigan's season has concluded, but Wolverines continue to represent the program on the international stage. Ofili (100-meter hurdles; Great Britain), along with alumnae Tiffany (Ofili) Porter (2006-10; 100-meter hurdles; Great Britain) and Nicole (Edwards) Sifuentes (2005-07; 1,500 meters; Canada) will run at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which begin Aug. 5 for opening ceremonies and run until Aug. 21.
Communications Contact: Chad Shepard
