University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Aaron Doster/American Athletic C
Three Track And Field Tigers Named Academic All-Americans
Jun 21, 2018 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
Memphis sets school record, leads conference with three selections.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The records keep coming for the University of Memphis track and field program in 2017-18.
First, it was 15 school marks set in competition during the indoor and outdoor campaigns.
Next, the Tigers sent a school-record 23 performers to the NCAA East Preliminaries in late May.
From the NCAA preliminaries, Memphis had a school-record nine qualify for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore.
On May 31, the Tigers placed a school-record six student-athletes on the Google Cloud/College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District III Team.
Now, three Memphis student-athletes – Olushola Olojo, Ashley Pryke and Rafael Vallery – have been named to the Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team for another program record. The Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team was announced by the national organization Thursday.
Pryke and Vallery are making their first appearance on the Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team. Olojo was selected a Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-American for a second-consecutive year.
Vallery became Memphis' highest Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-American as he was named to the second team. Pryke and Olojo were third team selections. Prior to the last two years, the Tigers had only two CoSIDA Academic All-America Team picks – Lisa-Marie Hyman in 2004-05 and Luis Hanssler in 2015-16 – and both were third teamers.
Memphis led the American Athletic Conference with its three Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America selections for track and field (men/women combined). Cincinnati, Houston and Tulane each had one.
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Head coach Kevin Robinson comments
"I'm so excited for Ashley, Rafael and Olushola. To me, this is the epitome of the ultimate student-athlete. A student-athlete that can compete at a high level in his or her chosen event and also be a stellar performer in the classroom and do that on a consistent basis is amazing. It shows how much dedication, how much discipline these kids have to work in the classroom and also compete athletically. That's not easy, and it's quite an accomplishment. I'm really proud of these three. This (CoSIDA) honor is the one I cherish the most, and it means a lot to me and my staff because we stress the academic side of our program."
Below are Memphis' Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team members and a brief biographical sketch on each:
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Olushola Olojo/Third Team
Major:Â Business Economics
GPA:Â 3.96
2017-18 Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team … 2017-18 CoSIDA Academic All-District III … 2016-17 CoSIDA Academic All-America third team … 2016-17 CoSIDA Academic All-District III … Missed most of the 2017 outdoor season and 2018 indoor campaign due to injuries … Three-time conference medalist (one gold/two silvers) … Won the triple jump crown at the 2017 American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships … Won the title with a personal-best effort of 50-6.25 (15.40m) … Earned his two silvers in the long and triple jumps at the 2016 league championships … His 23-7.5 (7.20m) mark in the long jump is a personal-best … Has 14 career top-three performances in the jumps (long/triple combined) … Transferred to the University of Memphis from Kent State prior to the 2015-16 season … Two-time American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team member … Dean's List student and Tiger 3.0 Club member at the University of Memphis … A business economics major.
Ashley Pryke/Third Team
Major:Â Exercise, Sport and Movement Sciences
GPA:Â 3.88
2017-18 Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team … 2017-18 CoSIDA Academic All-District III … Two-time All-America first team in the women's javelin (2017, 2018) … Placed seventh at the 2018 NCAA Championships … Qualified for the 2018 national meet with her second-place performance (178-4; 54.36m) at the NCAA East Preliminaries … Won her second-consecutive league javelin title (176-5; 53.77m) at the 2018 American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships in mid-May … Threw a 2018 season-best 178-11 (54.55m) at the Rhodes Invitational in mid-March … Has second-best javelin mark among Canadian throwers in 2018 (Athletics Canada) … Placed third in the javelin at the 2017 NCAA Championships with a school-record throw of 186-9 (56.93m) … For her efforts at the national meet, earned All-America first team accolades … Has 15 career javelin titles, including seven in 2018 … Two-time American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team member… Two-time U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honoree … Dean's List student and Tiger 3.0 Club member at the University of Memphis … An exercise, sport and movement sciences major.
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Rafael Vallery/Second Team
Major:Â Finance (minor in Accounting)
GPA:Â 3.99
2017-18 Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team … 2017-18 CoSIDA Academic All-District III … Earned 2018 All-America second team honors in the men's discus … Qualified for his first NCAA Championships with a ninth-place finish at the NCAA East Preliminaries … Five-time NCAA East Preliminaries qualifier in the shot put and discus … Four-time American Athletic Conference medalist in the throws… Two-time medalist at the 2018 conference outdoor meet, winning silver in the discus and bronze in the shot put… Set outdoor personal-bests in both the discus and shot put at his final home meet, the Memphis Invitational, in late April… Threw a 191-3 (58.30m) in the discus and a 60-7.25 (18.47m) in the shot put… Placed second (won silver) in the shot put at the league indoor championships in late February… Won his first conference medal (bronze) in the discus at the 2017 league outdoor championships… Had 27 career top-three finishes in his throws events … Three-time American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team member… Two-time U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honoree … Dean's List student and Tiger 3.0 Club member at the University of Memphis … Graduated from the University of Memphis with a bachelor's degree in finance and a minor in accounting.
First, it was 15 school marks set in competition during the indoor and outdoor campaigns.
Next, the Tigers sent a school-record 23 performers to the NCAA East Preliminaries in late May.
From the NCAA preliminaries, Memphis had a school-record nine qualify for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore.
On May 31, the Tigers placed a school-record six student-athletes on the Google Cloud/College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District III Team.
Now, three Memphis student-athletes – Olushola Olojo, Ashley Pryke and Rafael Vallery – have been named to the Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team for another program record. The Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team was announced by the national organization Thursday.
Pryke and Vallery are making their first appearance on the Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team. Olojo was selected a Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-American for a second-consecutive year.
Vallery became Memphis' highest Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-American as he was named to the second team. Pryke and Olojo were third team selections. Prior to the last two years, the Tigers had only two CoSIDA Academic All-America Team picks – Lisa-Marie Hyman in 2004-05 and Luis Hanssler in 2015-16 – and both were third teamers.
Memphis led the American Athletic Conference with its three Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America selections for track and field (men/women combined). Cincinnati, Houston and Tulane each had one.
Â
Head coach Kevin Robinson comments
"I'm so excited for Ashley, Rafael and Olushola. To me, this is the epitome of the ultimate student-athlete. A student-athlete that can compete at a high level in his or her chosen event and also be a stellar performer in the classroom and do that on a consistent basis is amazing. It shows how much dedication, how much discipline these kids have to work in the classroom and also compete athletically. That's not easy, and it's quite an accomplishment. I'm really proud of these three. This (CoSIDA) honor is the one I cherish the most, and it means a lot to me and my staff because we stress the academic side of our program."
Below are Memphis' Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team members and a brief biographical sketch on each:
Â
Olushola Olojo/Third Team
Major:Â Business Economics
GPA:Â 3.96
2017-18 Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team … 2017-18 CoSIDA Academic All-District III … 2016-17 CoSIDA Academic All-America third team … 2016-17 CoSIDA Academic All-District III … Missed most of the 2017 outdoor season and 2018 indoor campaign due to injuries … Three-time conference medalist (one gold/two silvers) … Won the triple jump crown at the 2017 American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships … Won the title with a personal-best effort of 50-6.25 (15.40m) … Earned his two silvers in the long and triple jumps at the 2016 league championships … His 23-7.5 (7.20m) mark in the long jump is a personal-best … Has 14 career top-three performances in the jumps (long/triple combined) … Transferred to the University of Memphis from Kent State prior to the 2015-16 season … Two-time American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team member … Dean's List student and Tiger 3.0 Club member at the University of Memphis … A business economics major.
Ashley Pryke/Third Team
Major:Â Exercise, Sport and Movement Sciences
GPA:Â 3.88
2017-18 Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team … 2017-18 CoSIDA Academic All-District III … Two-time All-America first team in the women's javelin (2017, 2018) … Placed seventh at the 2018 NCAA Championships … Qualified for the 2018 national meet with her second-place performance (178-4; 54.36m) at the NCAA East Preliminaries … Won her second-consecutive league javelin title (176-5; 53.77m) at the 2018 American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships in mid-May … Threw a 2018 season-best 178-11 (54.55m) at the Rhodes Invitational in mid-March … Has second-best javelin mark among Canadian throwers in 2018 (Athletics Canada) … Placed third in the javelin at the 2017 NCAA Championships with a school-record throw of 186-9 (56.93m) … For her efforts at the national meet, earned All-America first team accolades … Has 15 career javelin titles, including seven in 2018 … Two-time American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team member… Two-time U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honoree … Dean's List student and Tiger 3.0 Club member at the University of Memphis … An exercise, sport and movement sciences major.
Â
Rafael Vallery/Second Team
Major:Â Finance (minor in Accounting)
GPA:Â 3.99
2017-18 Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team … 2017-18 CoSIDA Academic All-District III … Earned 2018 All-America second team honors in the men's discus … Qualified for his first NCAA Championships with a ninth-place finish at the NCAA East Preliminaries … Five-time NCAA East Preliminaries qualifier in the shot put and discus … Four-time American Athletic Conference medalist in the throws… Two-time medalist at the 2018 conference outdoor meet, winning silver in the discus and bronze in the shot put… Set outdoor personal-bests in both the discus and shot put at his final home meet, the Memphis Invitational, in late April… Threw a 191-3 (58.30m) in the discus and a 60-7.25 (18.47m) in the shot put… Placed second (won silver) in the shot put at the league indoor championships in late February… Won his first conference medal (bronze) in the discus at the 2017 league outdoor championships… Had 27 career top-three finishes in his throws events … Three-time American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team member… Two-time U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honoree … Dean's List student and Tiger 3.0 Club member at the University of Memphis … Graduated from the University of Memphis with a bachelor's degree in finance and a minor in accounting.
Players Mentioned
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