TROY, N.Y. - The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced their annual All-Academic Team awards and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s track & field program was recognized. Individually, sophomore
Garrett Harms was also honored for his outstanding contributions.
Consistently one of the top academic programs in the nation in both track & field and cross country, the RPI men earned All-Academic Team recognition from the USTFCCA after posting a grade point average of 3.162. It marks the second time since 2007 that the Engineers’ men have been honored.
Individually, Harms, a sophomore from Newburyport, Mass., earned All-Academic recognition after carrying a 3.97 cumulative grade point average as a dual major in nuclear and mechanical engineering.
The Newburyport High School graduate was an Academic All-America Third Team selection in 2009. He was also a Liberty League All-Academic selection and has been named to the Dean’s List multiple times throughout his career.
One of the top multi-event competitors for the Engineers in 2009, Harms helped lead the Rensselaer men to the Liberty League Indoor Championship title and a third-place finish at the NYSCTC Championship. Competing in the five-event pentathlon, he finished fourth of 11 participants to secure valuable team points.
Harms’ success continued in the outdoor season as he once again helped RPI to a conference title. He achieved nine personal records in his first college decathlon and wrapped up his sophomore campaign at the ECAC Championships, finishing fourth overall in the decathlon with an NCAA provisional mark of 6,113 points to lead the men’s team to third overall.
The Whitworth University men’s program garnered this year’s USTFCCCA Scholar Team of the Year honors. A total of 51 Division III men’s track & field programs were recognized as 2009 USTFCCCA All-Academic Track & Field Teams.
Thirty-eight of Rensselaer's 50 male track & field athletes qualified for the Dean's List last semester. 22 of those student-athletes earned at least a 3.50 GPA while seven attained perfect 4.0 averages. Twenty-one student-athletes were named to the Liberty League All-Academic squad.
The spring semester marked the 14 consecutive semester in which Rensselaer’s student-athletes have had a higher cumulative GPA than that of non-student-athletes.