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NEW ORLEANS, La. – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced its academic award winners today with Queens University of Charlotte's Daniel Wallis earning Men's Indoor Track Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors and Ricko Meckes earning Men's Outdoor Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.
 
"The USTFCCCA does a wonderful job of recognizing the hard work that student-athletes engage in during their time in the classroom," Queens director of track & field and cross country Jim Vahrenkamp stated. "We are pleased, as a program, to have two of the four representatives for the entirety of the NCAA. Both Daniel and Ricko have done a great job balancing the demands of their academics and their athletic endeavors. I could not be more pleased. These men epitomize the culture that we want to have with all of our student athletes at Queens.
 
Wallis compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.88. The graduate student and Guildford, United Kingdom native finished in second overall in the mile and eighth in the 3000, earning first team all-American honors with his performance across both events. He is the first member of the Queens (N.C.) program to win this award during the indoor season, and it follows him being honored as the SAC Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year and SAC Presidents Award winner.
 
Meckes, a graduate student from Germany, worked his way towards a cumulative GPA of 3.83 for the year and won the title in the javelin at the outdoor championships. Meckes is also a two-time USTFCCCA Southeast Region Field Athlete of the Year, and he is the first athlete in program history to win this award during the outdoor season.
 
Scholar Athletes of the Year were selected as the highest finishing individual at the NCAA Division II Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships who achieved all-academic status. Those athletes who won individual NCAA championships ranked higher in the tie breaking process and cumulative GPA is weighted as the final advantage.
 
In addition, the Royals had 10 recognized on the all-academic team after each compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and have reached a provisional or automatic qualifying standard for the NCAA Championships in either the indoor or outdoor season.
 
Both the men's and women's track and field teams were also honored as all-academic teams. The men recorded a 3.20 GPA while the women recorded a 3.38 GPA.
 
Below is a list of the individuals honored on the all-academic team.
 
Sebastian Anthony- Business
Kevin Harrison- Undecided         
Nicholas Klei- Business
Martin Knauer- Mathematics     
Ricko Meckes- Business
Anthony Raftis- Mathematics     
Erick Sanchez- Accounting        
Daniel Wallis- Business
Gabby Schultz- Business
Elise Ulseth- Undecided