The College Sports Information Directors of America announced Galen Rupp of Oregon, Aaron Braun of Adams State, Lisa Koll of Iowa State and Nora Kuiper of Hope as Academic All-Americans of the Year for men’s and women’s track and cross country.

Rupp, a senior business administration major, was a 14-time all-American and guided Oregon to back-to-back national titles in cross country in 2007 and 2008. A six-time NCAA champion, he also competed in the 2008 Olympics. Rupp, Oregon’s record holder in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters, was the 2006 and 2008 Pac-10 Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year and the 2008 Pac-10 Scholar Athlete of the Year for men’s cross country. He also was honored as the 2009 Division I Men’s Track Athlete and Field Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Adams State’s Braun, a senior math major, was a four-time NCAA national champion and earned recognition as the NCAA Division II National Men’s Indoor and Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. The 10-time all-American’s second-place finish in the 2008 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships helped Adams State capture the team title. Braun, the 2009 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Track Athlete of the Year, was a first-team all-RMAC pick and guided Adams State to three straight league outdoor championships and three indoor conference title. 

Koll, a veterinarian medicine major, graduated from Iowa State with a near perfect 3.98 GPA. She is a three-time academic all-Big 12 selection. In addition to claiming the both the indoor and outdoor 5,000-meter Big 12 titles in 2008 event, the two-time all-American won the 10,000-meter run at the 2009 Big 12 Outdoor Championships, becoming just the second conference running to earn back-to-back titles in the event.   

Hope senior sprinter Kuiper, a chemistry major, graduated in May with a 3.93 GPA. A three-time all-American and a four-time all-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association pick, she won the 100-meter dash at the 2009 NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships to become the first female track athlete at Hope to earn a national title. Kuiper was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, served as a teaching assistant in the college’s chemistry department and tutored at-risk elementary school children.

For more information and a complete list of honorees, visit www.cosida.com.