UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Eight members of the Penn State track & field team were recognized as CSC Academic All-District honorees, the organization announced Wednesday.
From the men's squad, Evan Dorenkamp, Luke Knipe, Collin Burkhart, and Brandon Hontz received the accolade while Allison Johnson, Mallory Kauffman, Maddie Ullom, and Hailey Zurich were honored on the women's side.
THE HONOREES
Men's Team
Evan Dorenkamp – 3.9 GPA, Junior, Finance
Dorenkamp's success on the track this season for the Nittany Lions translated well into the classroom where he compiled a 3.9 cumulative GPA as a finance major. He also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in the fall during Penn State's cross country season.
This year, Dorenkamp added to his legacy at Penn State, earning a silver medal in the 1500 at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships before competing in the NCAA East Prelims, earning the second NCAA Outdoor Championships berth of his career. Dorenkamp is Penn State's indoor mile record holder and is No. 6 in the outdoor 1500 in school history.
Brandon Hontz – Grad Student, 3.89 GPA, Master's of Business Analytics
Hontz finished out his six-year career with the Nittany Lions following the final cross country and indoor track seasons at Penn State. The graduate student earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the eighth time in the fall.
During cross country season, Hontz finished as a Mid-Atlantic All-Region designation for the first time in his career. His final indoor season saw him cross the line in the mile with the first sub-four time in his career, earning him the fifth spot on Penn State's all-time list.
Luke Knipe – Senior, 3.82 GPA, Supply Chain & Information Systems
Knipe earns his first CSC Academic All-Region nod, adding to his collection of academic accomplishments. He is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and has been named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic team.
Penn State's pole vault program record holder is headed to Austin, Texas as the first male pole vaulter in school history to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Collin Burkhart – Sophomore, 3.8 GPA, Business Administration (pre-major)
Burkhart collects his first CSC Academic All-District honor following an excellent sophomore campaign in the classroom, where he accumulated a 3.8 GPA in his business administration pre-major.
His outdoor campaign for the Nittany Lions was one for the record books. Burkhart set the No. 4 mark all-time at Penn State in the hammer throw and the No. 10 all-time mark in the javelin throw. He is the only athlete currently on both lists and as a sophomore, has plenty of room to grow.
Women's Team
Allison Johnson – Sophomore, 3.8 GPA, Kinesiology
Johnson, a previous member of the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team and an Academic All-Big Ten honoree, earns her first Academic All-District recognition with a 3.8 GPA in her kinesiology major.
During her 2022-23 campaign with the Nittany Lions, she set the ninth-best 800-meter time and the 10th-best 1500-meter time in school history along with making her first trip to the NCAA East Preliminaries during the outdoor season. Johnson set Penn State's program record in the indoor 800-meter run in 2022, a season in which she earned her first All-America designation as well as Big Ten Indoor Freshman of the year honors.
Mallory Kauffman – Junior, 3.58 GPA, Elementary & Early Childhood Education
Kauffman, a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, and a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team member adds CSC Academic All-District recognition to her growing list of accolades.
The Penn State program record holder in the outdoor shot put is headed to the National Championships for the second consecutive season, looking to capitalize on a fantastic outdoor season. Kauffman scored points in both the shot put (fifth place) and discus throw (eighth place) at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships this season. Additionally, along with her outdoor shot put program record, she sits at No. 3 in school history in the indoor shot put.
Maddie Ullom – Junior, 3.59 GPA, Biobehavioral Health
A three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, Ullom finishes her 2023 campaign with recognition on the CSC Academic All-District team.
The No. 2 1500-meter runner in Penn State history made her second appearance at the NCAA East Preliminaries this season. Ullom was also a member of Penn State's program record-setting 4x800-meter relay squad that took home the Championship of America in the event at the Penn Relays.
Hailey Zurich – Junior, 3.75 GPA, Mechanical Engineering
Zurich adds Academic All-District honors to her academic accolades. She is a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team member and has received Academic All-Big Ten recognition.
In 2023, Zurich qualified for the NCAA East Preliminaries for the third time in her career, finishing just a couple spots shy of a trip to the National Championships. She will return to the Nittany Lions for her senior season next year looking to improve on her No. 2 standings in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault events.
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