The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has honored men’s and women’s track and field and cross country student-athletes for their achievements in athletics and academics.

The female student-athletes of the year are Lisa Koll of Iowa State, Sarah Stevens of Arizona State, Sarah Bowman of Tennessee and Ellie Rudy of Montana State.  The four women are part of a record 468 Division I women’s track and field student-athletes named to the USTFCCCA Division I Women’s All-Academic Track and Field Team.

The male student-athletes of the year are Jason Richardson of South Carolina, Cory Martin of Auburn and Ryan Whiting of Arizona State. They join more than 260 other Division I men’s track and field student-athlete named to the USTFCCCA Division I Men’s All-Academic Track and Field Team.

Koll, a 10,000-meter run specialist, won the 2008 NCAA outdoor title in the event. She also participated in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials earlier this year.

Stevens won the 2008 NCAA outdoor title in the discus. She also placed third in the hammer  and sixth in the shot put. She served as the president of Arizona State’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Bowman was part of Tennessee’s title-winning distance medley relay and finished third in the mile run at the indoor championships.

Rudy won the 2008 NCAA indoor title in the pole vault – her second consecutive championship in the event. She is the only female track and field athlete in Montana State history to win an NCAA championship.

Richardson just completed a perfect season – he was undefeated in the 110-meter hurdles, winning the outdoor title in the event. He came in second in the 60-meter hurdles at the indoor championships, setting a new personal best. He was honored for both his indoor and outdoor accomplishments.

Martin won NCAA titles this year in the outdoor shot put and hammer throw, only the second student-athlete in Division I history to win both events at the outdoor championship.

Whiting won the shot put at the NCAA indoor championships, breaking the collegiate record in the event with a throw of 21.73 meters (71-03 ½).

For more information on the scholar-athletes of the year or the academic teams, visit www.ustfccca.org.