Complete Team (pdf)

TROY, N.Y. – Four Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athletes have been selected to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District 3 Track & Field/Cross Country Teams, as chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Patrick Cavanaugh, Jeff Corelli, Brandon Kieft and Michael Nickerson were all named to the First Team in men's track & field.  As First Team honorees, all four are now eligible for National Academic All-America consideration.
 
A junior from Cheshire, Conn., Cavanaugh is a computer and systems engineering major with a 3.81 cumulative grade point average.  A multiple Dean's List and Liberty League All-Academic selection, he helped RPI to its fourth straight conference title at the outdoor championships and the school's eighth title and second consecutive crown at the New York State Outdoor Meet, winning the league's 3000-m steeplechase and placing second in the event at States. One of the team's top distance runners, Cavanaugh also had a solid effort during the cross country campaign, garnering All-League and All-Region Second Team recognition after placing 11th and 32nd, respectively at the conference and regional meets.
 
The former Cheshire High School standout, who is a two-time Liberty League Performer of the Week and a United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic, has interned with several companies.  In addition to a summer engineering internship at UTC Power, he has also worked with Factset.  Cavanaugh also serves as the secretary of the RPI IEEE Student Branch.
 
Corelli, a senior out of Latham, N.Y., graduated Summa Cum Laude in December of 2011 with a degree in mechanical engineering.  Sporting a 3.92 cumulative GPA, he was a multiple Dean's List and Liberty League All-Academic honoree in his career. Corelli, who captained the men's cross country team in the fall of 2011, was an NCAA Championship individual qualifier for the Engineers.  He finished 12th at the 2011 NCAA Atlantic Regionals, becoming the first runner in program history to garner All-Region First Team.  Corelli also placed 12th at the New York State meet and was sixth at Liberty Leagues, earning All-State Second Team and All-League First Team, respectively.
 
This is the second career Academic All-District honor for the Shaker High School graduate, who was an National Academic All-America Third Team selection last season.  A member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, he interned with several companies, including General Electric (Steam Turbine Fleet Support Consulting Engineer) and Exxon Mobil (Supply & Transport) and also served as the SAAC Community Service Organizer.  In addition to being a Resident Assistant, Corelli participated in the Undergrad Research Program, was a TJ Walker Memorial Scholarship Award recipient and was also inducted into RPI's Olympia Student-Athlete Honor Society.
 
Kieft, a senior who hails from Essex Junction, Vt., graduated in May of 2012 with a degree in computer and systems engineering.  The 2012 winner of RPI's Ballesian Prize – awarded to the senior student-athlete with the highest GPA – he posted a 4.00 in his career and was among just seven Summa Cum Laude honorees to graduate with a perfect mark. Kieft helped the Engineers claim their fourth straight league outdoor championship, placing third in the 800m-run and fourth overall in the 1500m-run.  He also finished sixth in the 1500m at the State Meet to help RPI to its second straight title.
 
A former standout at Essex High School, Kieft was a member of the Tau Beta Pi Honor Society in addition to earning multiple Dean's List and league All-Academic honors.  He helped his fellow peers as a teaching assistant and also served as the webmaster for the RPI IEEE Student Branch.  In addition to a co-op at Apple, Inc., Kieft – who was inducted into RPI's Olympia Honor Socitey – also served as a summer intern at Capital IQ and the Department of Homeland Security.
 
Nickerson, a graduate student from Salem, Mass., graduated Magna Cum Laude in May with a masters and bachelor degree in mechanical engineering. He had a 3.76 cumulative GPA as an undergraduate, while achieving a 3.66 GPA during his year as a graduate student.  A three-time captain in both cross country and track & field, Nickerson was a multiple Dean's List and conference All-Academic selection. During the 2012 outdoor season, he helped the Engineers claim their fourth straight title after placing fourth in the 10,000m-run at the league meet. He also placed 10th in the 10,000m at States.
 
The Bishop Fenwick High School graduate was a member of numerous honor societies, including Tau Beta Pi, Pi Tau Sigma (mechanical engineers) and RPI's Olympia.  In addition to being an Eagle Scout, Nickerson interned with GE Aviation in mission analysis, while also serving as a quality engineer intern at Keurig. Additionally, he was a recipient of the RPI Founders Award of Excellence.  Nickerson accepted a full-time job with Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory following graduation.