Wayne, Neb. — Four individuals and the Wayne State College men’s track and field team received All-Academic honors from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released Thursday afternoon by the coaches’ association office in New Orleans, Louisiana. Seniors Ben Allen, Cade Kalkowski and Dylan Kaup and freshman Dylan Kneifl were individuals honored while the Wildcat men’s team collected All-Academic Team honors for a 12th straight season with a 3.321 cumulative grade point average that ranked 22nd in NCAA Division II.
To qualify for the team academic award, an institution must record a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher while individuals must maintain a 3.25 grade point average and have achieved a provisional or automatic qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships in either indoor or outdoor seasons.
Allen, a senior from Ainsworth (Ainsworth HS), maintained a 3.35 grade point average majoring in business administration and marketing. He was an All-NSIC selection during the indoor season, placing third in the shot put (52’ 3 ¾”), followed by another All-NSIC performance in the outdoor season taking third at 55’ 7” while also setting a new school record during the outdoor season at 56’ 1 ¼” at the UNK Central Nebraska Challenge.
Kalkowski, a senior from Niobrara (Niobrara HS), earned USTFCCA All-Academic honors for a third straight season while posting a 3.48 grade point average majoring in agri-business. He won the NSIC hammer throw title for a third straight year during the outdoor season, qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Nationals for a third straight season. During the indoor season, Kalkowski was All-NSIC placing second in the weight throw and qualified for the NCAA Indoor Nationals for a third straight year.
Kaup collected USTFCCCA All-Academic honors for a fourth straight season. The senior thrower from Neligh (Neligh-Oakdale HS) carried a 3.90 grade point average majoring in school administration 7-12 and was an All-NSIC selection in the hammer throw placing third at 187’ 1”.
Kneifl, a freshman from Wisner (Wisner-Pilger HS), had a 3.53 grade point average majoring in industrial technology. He had an NCAA provisional mark during the indoor season in high jump and placed fourth at the NSIC Indoor Championships (6’ 6 ¾”) while taking eighth in the outdoor season at 6’ 2 ¾”.
