Gossels of Williams Named Track Scholar Athlete of the Year by USTFCCCA

Courtesy USTFCCCA

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Jennifer Gossels, a sophomore on the Williams women's track & field squad this past season, was named Scholar Athlete of the Year in Division III outdoor track & field for the 2011 season by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Wednesday. The award honors individuals who have performed the best in both athletics and academics.

Gossels, from Sudbury, Mass., was the NCAA outdoor champion in the 5,000 and 10,000 meter events this past May at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Ohio Wesleyan. The math and computer science major holds a 4.00 cumulative GPA through the spring 2011 semester.

Gossels was also named Scholar Athlete of the Year in Division III for cross country this past November by the USTFCCCA. She was the second-place individual finisher at the 2010 NCAA Cross Country Championships and won individual honors at the 2010 NESCAC Women's Cross Country Championship.

Of the 328 individual that earned All-Academic from the USTFCCCA in track & field, 37 had NESCAC ties, second amongst all conferences. Williams led the way with 12 honorees, while Middlebury was second among conference squads with eight individuals recognized. Other NESCAC teams with honorees included Tufts (7), Bates (5), Amherst (4), and Trinity (1).

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 and have met an NCAA automatic or provisional qualifying marks in an individual or relay event. Participation in an NCAA Championship also fulfills the athletic component of All-Academic qualification.

A complete list of honorees can be found on the USTFCCCA website.