July 24, 2012

Complete USTFCCCA Release

NEW ORLEANS -- Recent Stanford graduate, Amaechi Morton, has repeated as the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Outdoor Track Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Morton won the NCAA title in the 400-meter hurdles and graduated with a 3.25 grade-point average.

In addition to Morton's honor, 10 Cardinal men were named national All-Academic selections by the USTFCCCA. The 10 Cardinal honorees were the fourth most of any school in the country.

Morton, who will compete in the 400-meter hurdles at the London Olympics, earned his second-straight Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor. He was also named to the All-Academic team for the third-straight season.

Morton is the school record holder in the 400-meter hurdles and won the 2012 NCAA title with a time of 48.73. He also won the Nigerian Olympic Trials and was the African Champion this summer. He will be a medal contender in London this summer.

Other All-Academic team selections included Chris Derrick, Kevin Havel, Elliott Heath, Benjamin Johnson, Aaron Konigsberg, Luke Lefebure, Jake Riley, Tyler Stutzman and Miles Unterreiner.

Derrick and Heath were each four-time recipients of the award, while Unterreiner has the team's highest GPA.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and have met either of the following athletic standards: for the indoor season, a student-athlete must have finished the regular season ranked in the national top 96 in an individual event or ranked in the national top 48 (collective listing) in a relay event on the official NCAA POP list provided by TFRRS.org; for the outdoor season, a student-athlete must have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Championships (including preliminary rounds).