The 2010 ESPN the Magazine Men’s Track and Field / Cross Country Academic All-America honor teams were announced recently and Gustavus senior cross country and track and field student athlete John Kennedy was named to the team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Kennedy, a senior from Coon Rapids, Minn., is a biology and biochemistry double-major with a 3.98 grade point average. He was chosen for the College Division third team. The three Academic All-America teams are comprised of student-athletes from NAIA and NCAA Division II and III institutions. A four-year letterwinner on the cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field teams, Kennedy was a member of the conference champion distance medley relay team at the 2010 MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. He also finished sixth in the 1,000 meter run and was a member of the 4×400 relay team that finished fourth. In the outdoor season, Kennedy as a member of the 4×800 relay team that placed third. In cross country, he was the #3 runner for most of the season and posted a season best fourth place individual finish at the Northland Invitational. At the MIAC Championships, Kennedy was the Gusties second highest finisher as he crossed the line in 35th place. A First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District Five selection this year, Kennedy was a three-time Academic All-Conference honoree in both cross country and track and field.
The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team is part of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America program, administered by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. The Academic All-America program annually honors more than 1,600 student-athletes who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his current institution and be nominated by his sports information director.
Gustavus ranks seventh all-time in Division III in number of Academic All-Americans with 82.