WOMEN'S ALL-ACADEMIC | MEN'S ALL-ACADEMIC

NEW ORLEANS – Ithaca College women's track & field student-athletes Taryn Cordani, Katherine Pitman and Brandy Smith were named Scholar Athletes of the Year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on July 28. The USTFCCCA also released its All-Academic honorees for the indoor and outdoor seasons and a total of 17 competitors from Ithaca's men's and women's teams were recognized.

After a pair of national title performances in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs at the indoor championships in mid-March, Cordani was selected as the Indoor Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year along side Amber Celen of Bridgewater (Va.). Both student-athletes obtained a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, as Cordani majors in integrated marketing and communications.

Pitman, a physical therapy major with a 3.432 GPA, won the indoor national championship in the pole vault with an NCAA Division III meet record of 4.18 meters (13 feet, 8.5 inches) to secure the Indoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. She is the first Ithaca athlete to win the award since Emma Dewart in 2011.

Smith won her third career discus title this past spring en route to being named Outdoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. She earned a 3.825 GPA in business administration and also finished as an All-American in the shot put at the outdoor championships.

This is the first time since the USTFCCCA began handing out Scholar Athlete of the Year awards (2008) that three athletes from one school were selected during the same calendar year.

The trio were also honored with All-Academic recognition, along with nine other female athletes and five from the men's team.

For an individual to qualify for USTFCCCA All-Academic honors, they must obtain an cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher and either competed in the NCAA Championships or ranked within the national top 50 in an event or within the top 35 in a relay. There were a total of 608 women recognized and 402 men.

On the women's side, Beth Cripps, Amber Edwards, Sierra Grazia, Denise Ibarra, Emilie Mertz, Natalie Meyer, Caitlin Noonan, Alexandria Rheaume and Sarah Rudge met the requirements.

The men were represented by David Dorsey, Daniel Harden-Marshall, Daniel Hart, Sean Phillips and Patrick Robertson.