Four Buffs Named Pac-12 All-Academic First Team
June 04, 2019 | Track and Field
20 total CU student-athletes honored
SAN FRANCISCO – Colorado earned four spots on the 2019 Pac-12 All-Academic First Team, the conference announced Tuesday, along with 20 total student-athletes honored.
The CU women took up three spots in the 21-person first team with Kaitlyn Benner, Valerie Welch and Michaela Wenning all honored. Caleb Penner was the male representative for the Buffs on the firs team alongside Joe Klecker and Paxton Smith being named to the Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team.
Colorado also had 14 individuals on the honorable mention list; Ethan Gonzales, Kendal Smith, Cheyenne Cheshier, Elisa Grandemange, Eriana Henderson, Baylee Jones, Dani Jones, Lindsey Koch, Karina Mann, Makena Morley, Drianna Mustin, Tabor Scholl, Gabby Scott and Maja Wichhart-Donzo.
To be eligible for selection to the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average and be either a starter or significant contributor and have completed at least one year in residence at their current institution.
Benner, the 2019 Pac-12 Female Track and Field Scholar Athlete of the Year, has a 3.93 GPA in Chemical and Bioengineering. This is her third Pac-12 All-Academic First Team honor, coming a week after being named to her third Google Cloud All-District First Team selection. Benner was named a Third Team Academic All-American last year and was also named the 2017 Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year in cross country. She competes this Thursday in the NCAA National Championship 10,000-meter run.
This is Welch's first honor that she has been eligible for after she earned a 3.92 GPA in Mechanical Engineering. The sophomore is part of the school record 4x400-meter relay indoor school record and will be a part of the relay competing at the national championships for the first time in 23 years this week.
For Wenning, this is her second Pac-12 All-Academic First Team honor after she earned it in 2017. The senior has a 3.93 GPA while double majoring in Chemical and Bioengineering as well as Biochemistry. She also has three minors. Wenning will become one of just six women in school history to compete at the national championships in the heptathlon this weekend. She was named to the Google Cloud All-District First Team as well and is in the running to be named a Google Cloud Academic All-American.
Penner has a 3.97 GPA while double-majoring in Engineering Physics and Applied Mathematics. The junior concluded his season at the Pac-12 Championships while competing in the hammer throw and discus. He posted personal best marks in both events this season and is just three-feet shy of the 10th-best mark in school history. He was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District First Team last week and is in the running to be named an Academic All-American.
On the second team, Klecker has a 3.58 GPA in Biochemistry and had an outstanding season with marks in the 1,500 and 5,000 that would've sent him to the NCAA West Preliminaries if it wasn't for injuries. Smith has a 3.55 GPA in marketing and closed out his season in the 10,000 at the Pac-12 Championships.
Of the 20 total student-athletes named to the team, eight are heading to Austin this weekend for the NCAA National Championships.
The CU women took up three spots in the 21-person first team with Kaitlyn Benner, Valerie Welch and Michaela Wenning all honored. Caleb Penner was the male representative for the Buffs on the firs team alongside Joe Klecker and Paxton Smith being named to the Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team.
Colorado also had 14 individuals on the honorable mention list; Ethan Gonzales, Kendal Smith, Cheyenne Cheshier, Elisa Grandemange, Eriana Henderson, Baylee Jones, Dani Jones, Lindsey Koch, Karina Mann, Makena Morley, Drianna Mustin, Tabor Scholl, Gabby Scott and Maja Wichhart-Donzo.
To be eligible for selection to the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average and be either a starter or significant contributor and have completed at least one year in residence at their current institution.
Benner, the 2019 Pac-12 Female Track and Field Scholar Athlete of the Year, has a 3.93 GPA in Chemical and Bioengineering. This is her third Pac-12 All-Academic First Team honor, coming a week after being named to her third Google Cloud All-District First Team selection. Benner was named a Third Team Academic All-American last year and was also named the 2017 Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year in cross country. She competes this Thursday in the NCAA National Championship 10,000-meter run.
This is Welch's first honor that she has been eligible for after she earned a 3.92 GPA in Mechanical Engineering. The sophomore is part of the school record 4x400-meter relay indoor school record and will be a part of the relay competing at the national championships for the first time in 23 years this week.
For Wenning, this is her second Pac-12 All-Academic First Team honor after she earned it in 2017. The senior has a 3.93 GPA while double majoring in Chemical and Bioengineering as well as Biochemistry. She also has three minors. Wenning will become one of just six women in school history to compete at the national championships in the heptathlon this weekend. She was named to the Google Cloud All-District First Team as well and is in the running to be named a Google Cloud Academic All-American.
Penner has a 3.97 GPA while double-majoring in Engineering Physics and Applied Mathematics. The junior concluded his season at the Pac-12 Championships while competing in the hammer throw and discus. He posted personal best marks in both events this season and is just three-feet shy of the 10th-best mark in school history. He was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District First Team last week and is in the running to be named an Academic All-American.
On the second team, Klecker has a 3.58 GPA in Biochemistry and had an outstanding season with marks in the 1,500 and 5,000 that would've sent him to the NCAA West Preliminaries if it wasn't for injuries. Smith has a 3.55 GPA in marketing and closed out his season in the 10,000 at the Pac-12 Championships.
Of the 20 total student-athletes named to the team, eight are heading to Austin this weekend for the NCAA National Championships.