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Nine Illini, Entire Squad Tabbed All-Academic by USTFCCCA
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Junior Chantelle Groenewoud was named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team for the second-consecutive year.
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July 28, 2010
2010 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team 
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Nine Illinois women's track and field athletes were named to the 2010 Division I All-Academic Track and Field team, announced on Wednesday by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Senior Angela Bizzarri garnered the honor for the third-consecutive season while senior Alecia Beckford-Stewart, junior Chantelle Groenewoud and sophomore Kristin Sutherland picked up the accolade for the second year in a row. Juniors Elizabeth Boyle and Shannon Phelan and freshmen Madeline Aufmann, Marissa Golliday and Kayla Smith were recognized for their academic and athletic achievements during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons for the first time in their careers.
To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and have met either the NCAA Division I Indoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard or participated in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships (including preliminary rounds) in their respective event.
The entire squad also was honored as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team after compiling a combined GPA of 3.18. A total of 151 institutions earned the distinction as a result of a cumulative team GPA of 3.0 or better.
Bizzarri won the 2010 NCAA indoor title in the 3,000m and is a nine-time All-American between track and cross country. The Mason, Ohio native was named a 2010 first-team Academic All-American by ESPN the Magazine, has earned Academic All-Big Ten honors six times and is a molecular and cellular biology major. She also was tabbed as the USTFCCCA Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year after winning the 2009 NCAA cross country national title.
Beckford-Stewart hit the provisional qualifying standard in the pentathlon with her personal-best mark of 3,841 points in the pentathlon, which earned her a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships. She also finished second in the heptathlon at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. The Brampton, Ontario native took home Academic All-Big Ten honors this year and is a kinesiology major with a minor in chemistry.
Groenewoud competed in the 3,000m steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor West Preliminary Round of Championship and placed fourth in the event for the second straight year at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. The North Vancouver, B.C., native also was named Academic All-Big Ten this year and is majoring in kinesiology.
Sutherland hit the provisional qualifying standard in the 5,000m, was named Academic All-Big Ten this year and is majoring in business. Boyle ran the 10,000m at the NCAA Outdoor West Preliminary Round of Championship and placed eighth in the event at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. The Elmhurst, Ill., native also was an Academic All-Big Ten selection and is majoring in English.
Phelan competed in the 1,500m at the NCAA Outdoor West Preliminary Round of Championship, earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and is majoring in community health. Aufmann, a media studies major, ran the 3,000m steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor West Preliminary Round of Championship and placed eighth in the event at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships.
Golliday, a psychology major, qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Round of Championship in the 400m while Smith, a kinesiology major, competed at the NCAA Championships as part of the 4x100m relay.
A record total of 551 student-athletes representing 150 institutions were named to the All-Academic Team. The Big Ten notched the conference lead with 65 All-Academic nods while the Big 12 was edged out with 64. Minnesota led the conference with 13 selections followed by Illinois and Indiana tied for second with nine honorees.
