Double the academics: Wildcats, 6 athletes earn nat’l track academic awards
Wildcats, 6 athletes earn nat’l track academic awards
Northern Michigan University sophomore Danielle Lund stands on the podium with her medal after winning the women’s discus by about 4 1/2 feet at the GLIAC Outdoor Championships held at Grand Valley State University in Allendale on May 1. She is a Manistique High School graduate. (Photo courtesy NMU)
These four athletes on the women’s track and field team at Northern Michigan University set a school record in the distance medley relay at Grand Valley State’s Big Meet on Feb. 14 in Allendale. From left are Madi Szymanski, Beverly Harper, Baux Truckey and Ashley Choponis. They clocked 11 minutes, 44.49 seconds over the four-kilometer race to finish fifth out of 23 quartets, but also the ninth-best time in NCAA Division II this season as several Division I teams were at the meet. (Photo courtesy NMU)
Northern Michigan University sophomore Danielle Lund stands on the podium with her medal after winning the women’s discus by about 4 1/2 feet at the GLIAC Outdoor Championships held at Grand Valley State University in Allendale on May 1. She is a Manistique High School graduate. (Photo courtesy NMU)
These four athletes on the women’s track and field team at Northern Michigan University set a school record in the distance medley relay at Grand Valley State’s Big Meet on Feb. 14 in Allendale. From left are Madi Szymanski, Beverly Harper, Baux Truckey and Ashley Choponis. They clocked 11 minutes, 44.49 seconds over the four-kilometer race to finish fifth out of 23 quartets, but also the ninth-best time in NCAA Division II this season as several Division I teams were at the meet. (Photo courtesy NMU)
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MARQUETTE -- Good grades are counting twice as nice for the women's track and field team at Northern Michigan University as both the Wildcats team and a half-dozen of its athletes earned national academic honors from a noted coaches' organization.
NMU was named to the 2026 All-Academic Team, while the six students were named NCAA Division II All-Academic Athletes by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Those athletes honored were Ashley Choponis, Ella DeBruyn, Beverly Harper, Danielle Lund, Sophia Potter and Madi Szymanski.
Szymanski was a senior nursing major, Harper a senior in health and physical education/secondary education, Potter a senior in political science, Lund a sophomore in cognitive impairment/elementary education, DeBruyn a sophomore in sustainable business/enterprise creation, and Choponis a freshman in biology.
Lund is also a Manistique High School graduate.
The NMU team as a whole has been honored in all 12 seasons that Jenny Ryan has been head coach. Needing a 3.0 grade-point average to qualify, the Northern team easily exceeded that with a 3.45 GPA.
For individual athletes, each must compile at least a 3.25 GPA through the final semester of competition and be academically eligible at the national championships for that season. Transfer and graduate students can only use grades earned at their current institution.
Additionally, athletes in individual events must have finished in the top 50 in the Track & Field Results Reporting System or participated at an NCAA indoor or outdoor national championship, while those in relays must be in a top-35 relay as listed by TFRRS or taken part at an NCAA national meet.
The USTFCCCA determined these awards for both men's and women's track and field in NCAA Divisions I, II and III; the NAIA; and the junior college NJCAA.
The online release of all awards is available at www.ustfccca.org/2026/07/featured/2026-ustfccca-track-field-academic-awards.
Story contents based on a Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the awards. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee's email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.