By Journal Sports Staff

MARQUETTE — The women’s track and field team at Northern Michigan University and two of its members recently earned academic recognition from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The Wildcats were named to the 2022 All-Academic Team, while senior Izabelle Peterson and freshman Crystal Walker earned individual All-Academic honors.

NMU as a team had a 3.48 grade-point average to become one of seven GLIAC schools and more than 100 nationwide to earn all-academic team recognition in NCAA Division II.

Individually, Peterson, a Marquette Senior High School graduate, and Walker were among more than 400 athletes earning All-Academic recognition.

For teams, all student-athletes must have had a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 with transfer and graduate students only including grades earned at their nominating institution.

For individuals, each student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 through the end of the semester of competition, have completed at least 24 semester or 36 quarter hours through that semester, and have achieved an automatic or provisional qualifying time, distance or height in an individual or relay event during either the indoor or outdoor season.

Peterson, a biology major, hit the 200-meter dash provisional time during the indoor season with 24.79 seconds at the GLIAC Championships. She also earned a pair of top-three podium finishes at the conference finals, coming in second place in the 60 in 7.69 and third in the 200.

During the outdoor season, Peterson took second in the 100 in 12.08 seconds and fourth in the 200 in 24.59 at the GLIAC Championships.

Walker, a business analytics major from Portmore, Jamaica, reached a provisional mark in the 60 hurdles indoors with an NMU-record 8.72 seconds in the Grand Valley State Big Meet. At the GLIAC indoor finals, she was named Freshman Field Athlete of the Meet after taking third in the pentathlon, fifth in the 60 hurdles and sixth in the long jump.

In the outdoor season, she made a provisional time in the 100 hurdles with a school-record 13.91 seconds at the GLIAC Championships that she went on to win, while she was also second in the long jump.

Also in recent weeks, Walker was honored with being named to the NCAA Division II All-Region teams by the USTFCCCA, specifically for her 100 hurdles performance.

The entire USTFCCCA release can be found online at www.ustfccca.org/2022/07/featured/2022-ustfccca-college-program-divisions-track-field-academic-awards?utm_medium=sidearm-email&utm_source=nmuwildcats.com&utm_campaign=Track+%26+Field+Named+USTFCCCA+All-Academic+Team+While+Two+Earn+Individual+Honors&utm_content=477eeb1d-322a-4c3c-aca7-7d5efdce1aaf.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.