University of Minnesota Athletics
Four Gophers Earn Academic All-District Honors
5/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) -- Four Gophers were recognized for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom on Friday as the 2014-15 Capital One Academic All-District Track & Field Teams were announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Aaron Bartnik, Mark Jennings, Gian Ferretti and Luca Wieland were named to this year's Capital One Academic All-District Track & Field/Cross Country Team with the University of Minnesota now boasting 20 total Academic All-District honorees this year. The four honorees are now eligible for Academic All-America accolades in June and will look to join Maxx Williams (football) as 2014-15 Capital One Academic All-Americans for the Gophers.
Bartnik, a junior from Eden Prairie, Minn., was a First Team All-Big Ten and All-Region honoree for the Gophers during the cross country season. He led Minnesota in all six races this year and posted four top-10 finishes including runner-up finish at the UC Riverside Invitational and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA regional. A five-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and an electrical engineering major with a 3.69 GPA, Bartnik was named the team's Fred O. Watson Award winner as the most valuable competitor. Also a member of the track & field program, Bartnik will compete in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Preliminary Championships, May 28-30, in Austin, Texas.
Jennings, a senior captain from Marion, Iowa, has 10 career wins under his belt including four as a senior. He ranks fourth on Minnesota's top outdoor performers list in the shot put and sixth on the indoor shot put list. The four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree owns a 3.80 GPA and is working towards a master's degree in accountancy. Jennings will represent the Gophers in the shot put at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Preliminary Championships.
Ferretti, a junior from Cascina, Italy, set a new Minnesota hammer throw record at 69.65 meters (228-06.50 ft.) at the Big Ten outdoor meet and finished third or better in all six meets for the outdoor season including three wins. He owns five of the top 10 throws ever at Minnesota. Ferretti owns a 3.54 GPA and was named an Academic All-Big Ten honoree this year. The thrower will compete in the hammer at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Preliminary Championships.
Wieland, a sophomore from Saarbrucken, Germany, won the 2015 NCAA heptathlon title and swept the Big Ten combined event titles this year with wins in the heptathlon and the decathlon. His 6,070 points to win the NCAA heptathlon set a new Minnesota record in the event while the performance marked the eighth-most points ever by a college athlete. Wieland boasts a 3.71 GPA and was named an Academic All-Big Ten honoree this year. A First Team All-American (indoor) and First Team All-Big Ten honoree (indoor and outdoor), Wieland will compete in the decathlon at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, June 10-13, in Eugene, Ore.
Gopher Student-Athletes Recognized on 2014-15 Capital One Academic All-District Teams
Katie Thyken (Soccer)
Paige Tapp (Volleyball)
Hannah Tapp (Volleyball)
Maxx Williams (Football)
Shayne Mullaney (Women's Basketball)
Ben Meyer (Baseball)
Hannah Granger (Softball)
Erica Meyer (Softball)
Hannah Brandt (Women's Hockey)
Jessica Flakne (Rowing)
Mathieu Froment (Men's Tennis)
Michael Kroells (Wrestling)
Lindsay Mable (Women's Gymnastics)
Jessica Plant (Women's Swimming & Diving)
Jess Herauf (Women's Track & Field)
Liz Berkholtz (Women's Track & Field/Cross Country)
Mark Jennings (Men's Track & Field)
Luca Wieland (Men's Track & Field)
Gian Ferretti (Men's Track & Field)
Aaron Bartnik (Men's Track & Field/Cross Country)
Players Mentioned
