Track and Field Progams Earn USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Honors; Rafter Earns Indoor All-Academic Athlete

The Central Connecticut men's and women's track and field teams were recognized by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for their academic performance during the 2022-23 school year with the All-Academic Team Award it was announced on Thursday.

USTFCCCA Academic Awards Release

Angie Rafter received Track & Field All-Academic Athlete recognition, which is presented to student-athletes that maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or better and must have finished the season ranked in the top-96 in an indoor individual championship event or participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships or finished the season ranked in the top-48 in the East or West in an event. Rafter, a Psychology graduate student, helped the Blue Devils win a second straight NEC Indoor Track and Field championship, while also winning the mile, 3K and 5K races at the conference championships. She also set program records in the 3K and 5K during the season.

In order to be selected as an All-Academic Team the cumulative GPA for all student-athletes on the institution's NCAA Squad List for Indoor and/or Outdoor Track and Field must be 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

The Central women's team had a 3.19 GPA, while the men's team posted a 3.20 grade point average. The teams combined for 52 NEC Academic Honor Roll selections, with 3.20 or higher GPA, including 14 student-athletes boasting selection to the NEC Commissioner's Honor Roll, for GPA's of 3.70 or higher. Ashley Dana earned the conference's top individual honor as NEC Female Team Student-Athlete of the Year and the NEC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete. Angie Rafter was named the NEC Scholar-Athlete during the indoor season.

About the USTFCCCA
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is a New Orleans, Louisiana-based professional association representing men's and women's cross country and track & field coaches in the United States. The organization has about 8,000 members representing nearly 94% of NCAA track & field programs are members of USTFCCCA. The group serves as an advocate for coaches, providing a national forum to address their needs. It also serves as a lobbyist for coaches' interests, and a "liaison between the various stakeholders" in the sport.