The 2012 Capital One Academic All-District Men’s Track/Cross Country Teams, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), have been released to recognize the nations top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Athletes representing Gustavus Adolphus on this season’s Academic All-District Six First Team include senior cross country runner Brooke Beskau (Hastings, Minn.), senior hurdler Steve Groskreutz (Faribault, Minn.), and junior pole vault specialist Allyson Voss (Wausau, Wis.).
The Academic All-District teams include the student-athletes divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. This is the first year of the expanded Academic All-America program as CoSIDA moves from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non Division I) and doubles the number of scholar-athletes honored. The teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools.
Senior Brooke Beskau makes her first appearance on the Academic All-District Team. Obtaining a degree in education, Beskau graduated from Gustavus with a cumulative grade point average of 3.97. The Hastings, Minn. native capped off her Gustavus tenure in cross country with three outstanding meets to close out the season. Beskau finished 10th at the MIAC Championships – earning All-Conference honors, 23rd at the NCAA Central Region Championships – taking home All-Region distinction, and 119th at the NCAA Championships. At the conclusion of the season, Brooke was also named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team.
Senior Steve Groskreutz garners Academic All-District honors on the men’s side for the first time in his career as well, graduating on Sunday, May 27 with a degree in chemistry after achieving a GPA of 3.75. Just like he would have liked to script it, Groskreutz saved his best season for last in 2012. At the 2012 MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, Steve ran a 8.558 to finish fourth in the 60-meter hurdles. However, during the outdoor season is where Groskreutz shined. Going into the 2012 MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Faribault, Minn. product was ranked first in both the 110-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles. He ended up winning the title in the 400-meter hurdles after crossing the line in 53.51, and taking fifth in the 110 after going 16.50. Steve later qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 400 hurdles, where he ran a career-best 53.37 in the prelims to earn a spot in finals. He ran a 53.56 in the finals and ended up in ninth place in the nation.
Rounding out Gustavus’ representatives on the District Six All-Academic First Team is another first-timer, junior Ally Voss. Voss, a native of Wausau, Wis., is a spanish and sociology & anthropology double major with a GPA of 3.93. Head Coach Dale Bahr’s top pole vaulter, Voss kicked off the 2012 track season by taking gold at the MIAC Indoor Championships after clearing the bar at 11-feet 0.75-inches. Voss parlayed her outstanding indoor campaign with an equally impressive outdoor season. At the MIAC Outdoor Championships, Voss cleared 11-feet 11.75-inches to place first and earn a trip to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She beat the second place finisher at the conference meet by more that a foot and a half. The junior continued to shine at the national meet, clearing a career-best 12-feet 7.50-inches to place seventh and earn All-America distinction. Voss also shattered Shanna Dawson’s 2008 school record of 12-feet 2.5-inches in the process, becoming Gustavus’ first All-American in the outdoor pole vault.
For their efforts, Steve Groskreutz and Ally Voss were also recently named Gustavus’ Student-Athletes of the Month for May.
First-team Academic All-District honorees advance to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first, second and third team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.