CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia’s Michaela Meyer and Owayne Owens were named to the College Sports Information Director’s of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America team for track and field today (Aug. 12). Both were second-team selections.
Meyer, from Southbury, Conn., was previously announced as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year for Women’s outdoor track and field. She was also named an All-ACC Academic selection (outdoor), the ACC Honor Roll and named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team. She boasts a 3.89 grade point average as a graduate student in UVA’s nursing program.
This year she became the first female competitor in the Virginia track and field program’s history to win an individual NCAA title when she took first place in the 800 meters. During the NCAA finals, Meyer ran a personal best time of 2:00.28 that broke her own UVA school record. It capped a collegiate season in which she also won the ACC title in the women’s 1500 meters and placed first in the 800 meters at the NCAA East Regional. Meyer was fourth at the U.S. Olympic Trials, bettering her previous best time by lowering the school record to 1:58.55. That smashed the ACC record (1:59.63) for the event. She became only the fifth woman in collegiate history, regardless of competition date, to go sub 1:59 in the 800.
A native of Montego Bay, Jamaica, Owens has a 3.88 GPA as a sociology major with a minor in entrepreneurship. Like Meyer, he was previously named to the All-ACC Academic team (indoor and outdoor), the ACC Honor Roll and selected for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team.
During the indoor season he was named an indoor first-team All-American after placing sixth at the NCAA Championships in the triple jump. He won the ACC indoor triple jump title and also set the school record in the long jump during the season. Owens was a second-team All-American during the outdoor campaign after placing 15th in the triple jump. On the ACC level, he completed the sweep by winning the outdoor triple jump crown. Owens also picked up All-ACC Academic accolades for both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
To be nominated for the CoSIDA Academic All-America team, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her current institution. The cumulative grade-point average may NOT be rounded up to 3.30. Nominees must participate in 50 percent of the competitions that an institution schedules in either cross country, indoor track and field, or outdoor track and field.
No student-athlete is eligible until he/she has completed one full calendar year at his/her current institution and has reached sophomore athletic eligibility. Nominees in graduate school must have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or above both as an undergrad and in grad school.