NEW ORLEANS – Though it's the dog days of summer and the fall semester is just a handful of weeks away, Chico State student-athletes continue to be rewarded for their efforts during the recently completed spring season. The Wildcats were honored this week by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), with eight Chico State athletes being named to the 2014 Division II All-Academic Track & Field Team.

Three Chico State men's track & field athletes – John Brunk, Sean Goetzl and Nick Sloggy – were among 241 men representing 72 Division II institutions to earn 2014 USTFCCCA All-Academic honors.
 
Five members of the Wildcat women's track & field team – Kasey Barnett, Aja Erskine, Bailey Henshaw, Olivia Watt and Brooke Whitburn – received USTFCCCA All-Academic honors for 2014. A total of 422 women from 98 institutions were recognized for their combined efforts in competition and in the classroom.

For Barnett and Watt, the announcement marks the second straight year they have received USTFCCCA All-Academic honors. In June, Barnett was also named to the CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America First Team and selected as the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. Earlier this year Henshaw was the recipient of the USTFCCA's All-Academic Cross Country Team award.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, student-athletes needed to compile a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and achieve an NCAA automatic or provisional qualifying mark in an individual or relay event at some point in either indoor or outdoor seasons.