NEW ORLEANS, La. - Six North Dakota State women's track and field athletes were named to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I All-Academic Team. A record total of 551 student-athletes representing 150 institutions compose the group.
Sophomore Leslie Brost, senior Brittni Bruenjes, junior Christine Bruins, junior Whitney Carlson, senior Devon Wentz and senior Heather Zander were all honored.
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 and have met either the NCAA Division I Indoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard or participated in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships (including preliminary rounds) in their respective event.
Brost set new NDSU and new Summit League records in the pole vault this spring. She became the first Bison to clear the 14-foot barrier, breaking her own school record with a mark of 14 feet 1 1/4 inches. She won the pole vault title at the league championships with a record mark of 13-5 1/4 and finished 13th at the NCAA Preliminary Round. Brost has a 3.56 GPA in exercise science.
Bruenjes has a 3.85 GPA in elementary education. She finished second in the triple jump with a mark of 40-2 1/4 and fourth in the long jump with a leap of 19-6 3/4 at the Summit League Championships this spring and holds spots on the NDSU all-time top 10 lists in both events. She finished 46th in the long jump at the NCAA preliminary round.
Bruins holds a 3.51 GPA in management. She won the 800 meter title at the Summit League Championships in 2:11.83 and was fourth in the 1,500 meters. She advanced to the second round of the 800 meters at the NCAA Preliminary Round with a time of 2:07.05, which ranks fourth all-time at NDSU.
Carlson, an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America first team selection, is one of 28 athletes on the All-Academic team to have a perfect 4.0 GPA. She won the long jump, 100 meter hurdles and 400 meter hurdles at the Summit League Championships. She placed 11th in the long jump at the NCAA Championships and earned her first USTFCCCA All-America award. At the U.S. Championships, she set a new scholl record of 21-2 1/2 en route to a ninth place finish.
Wentz placed second in the 400 meter hurdles in 1:02.00 and fourth in the 100 meter hurdles in 14.34 at the Summit League Championships. She came in 30th in the 400 meter hurdles at the NCAA Preliminary Round in 1:00.86. Wentz has a 3.69 GPA in exercise science.
The 2010 Summit League Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, Zander set a school record of 5,427 points in the heptathlon at the NCAA Championships en route to earning USTFCCCA All-America honors. She also won the event at the Summit League Championships for the second straight year with a new league record of 5,328 points. The Mandan, N.D. native has a 3.75 GPA in exercise science.
