USTFCCCA RELEASE | USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams | USTFCCCA All-Academic Athletes
NEW ORLEANS – Freshman Gwen Koziara and the Suffolk women's cross country team were recognized for their academic achievements with 2021 All-Academic Awards, given out by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), the national organization unveiled Thursday afternoon.
Overall, 163 teams earned the honor, which has been awarded to squads since 1995-96, for squads that achieve a 3.1 combined GPA on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period.
In the classroom, Will Feldman's Rams put together a 3.625 GPA, which is good for 89th of the 160-plus teams honored. The acknowledged is Suffolk's fifth in a row and fifth in program history, all of which have come in the Feldman era.
The Rams are five Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) programs to take home the recognition. The blue-and-gold hold the highest GPA among the group, which includes, Roger Williams (3.36), Salve Regina (3.59), the University of New England (3.47) and Wentworth (3.49). For a full list of teams honored, click here.
Koziara made the list for the first time in her career after her first collegiate season. She is the youngest Ram to earn the academic achievement and first since Emily Manfra '20 garnered the distinction in 2020. Overall, Koziara is the third Suffolk student-athlete to take home the nod.
For a student-athlete to be considered he/she must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale and finish in the top-25 percent of their respective regional championship meet.
Koziara, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania local made the most of her rookie season. The CCC Rookie of the Year was not only the first Suffolk student-athlete to cross the 6k finish line at Franklin Park, but was the fastest CCC runner as well with a time of 24:47.2. She took 47th in the 220-runner field.
In addition to her athletic achievements, she excelled in the classroom as well. The business major assembled a 3.733 GPA over the fall.
Koziara was the only CCC student-athlete to achieve the feat this season. For a full list of athletes recognized, click here.