NEW ORLEANS, La. (July 27, 2021)  – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's and women's track and field teams were each named a Division III All-Academic Team by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), the organization announced on July 22.

Additionally, rising junior Laura Mathews joined graduate student Gina Dello Russo and alumnus Nicholas DiMaria in earning All-Academic Athlete recognition for their performance in the classroom and in competition during the 2020-21 season. 

"Our teams have worked diligently over the past year of remote instruction, adapting to new environments and persevering through adversity," said head coach Lance Harden. "We are extremely proud of everyone for their academic dedication, especially those who faced significant personal challenges due to the pandemic."

It is believed to be the 10th straight year that the USTFCCCA has recognized at least one of the Ducks' track and field programs as an All-Academic team. The Ducks were one of eight Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) institutions to have both their men's and women's programs recognized by the USTFCCCA.

To be named an All-Academic team, a team must have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.1 on a 4.0 scale through the most recent semester or quarter. A total of 213 women's teams and 160 Division III men's teams were recognized by the organization.

To earn the All-Academic Athlete honor, a student-athlete must have compiled at least a 3.3 GPA and have met at least one of the following athletic standards: must have finished the outdoor season among the top-50 individuals or Top-35 relay teams as listed on TFRRS or were accepted into the Outdoor National Championship. In total, over 1,000 Division III student-athletes earned the distinction.

"Laura, Gina, and Nick are leaders for us on the track and in the classroom, and we truly value awards like these that honor their combined athletic and academic accomplishments," Harden commented.

All three student-athletes previously earned all-region recognition from the USTFCCCA. Dello Russo received the distinction in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes to bring her career total to 14, while DiMaria joined Dello Russo in earning the honors in the 200 and 400 to bring his career total to five, while Mathews earned her first career outdoor all-region accolade in the 100 hurdles. 

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