Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina track and field picked up a few more postseason honors to add to the collection as four student-athletes were named to the 2023-24 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team as announced by organization earlier today. WCU seniors Riley Center, Nytrinitey Jenkins, and Derica Currie were joined by sophomore Shaneil Lysight as the Catamount honorees. The 2023-24 honor was the second in a row for both Center and Jenkins.
Academic All-District nominations were determined by success in the classroom and on the track, as all athletes were required to post a 3.50 GPA and place within the top 50 in the region in their respective events to qualify for a nomination.
The 2022-23 Southern Conference indoor and outdoor shot-put champion, Riley Center posted a cumulative 3.696 GPA while double majoring in criminal justice and emergency & disaster management. The senior thrower set personal bests in three events during his senior season, posting distances of 15.04m, 33.71m, and 47.70m in the weight, discus, and hammer throw respectively.
Resident Catamount speedster Nytrinitey Jenkins continued her run of success at both conference championship meets during her senior year. Jenkins collected a total of five medals across the two meets to go along with her 2023 outdoor 400m conference crown. The Winston-Salem product posted a 3.570 cumulative GPA as a nursing major.
The sole jumper of the quartet, Derica Currie earned a 3.762 GPA while majoring in recreational therapy. On the track she competed in both the long and triple jumps during the 2023-24 seasons, setting a personal best in the long jump with a 5.44m leap during the SoCon Indoor Championships.
An engineering major with a concentration in electrical power with a 3.921 GPA, Shaneil Lysight saved her best performances for late during the outdoor season. The sophomore from St. Andrew, Jamaica posted personal bests in the 200m, the 400H, and the 100H, taking a silver medal for her efforts in the 100H during the SoCon Outdoor Championships.
The 2024 Academic All-District® Men's and Women's Track & Field teams, selected by CSC, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the track, in the field, and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes men's track & field honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Student-athletes selected as CSC Academic All-American finalists advance to a ballot to determine the all-American teams, which will be voted on by CSC members. The women's track and field and cross country all-American teams will be announced on July 9, with the men's teams being announced the following day.
After today's announcement of the track & field awards, Western Carolina has put a combined 30 student-athletes on the CSC Academic All-District teams this season including six from women's soccer, five each from football, softball, and baseball, four from volleyball and track & field, and one from women's basketball.
All-Time Track and Field CSC Academic All-District Honorees:
Holly Bright (W) - 2002
Kineta Williams-Rogers (W) - 2003
Macy Little (W) - 2003
Michelle Velez (W) - 2003
Leslie Martin (W) - 2004
Korie Bennett (W) - 2016
Laney Browder (W) - 2016
Kate Mattison (W) - 2023
Nytrinitey Jenkins (W) - 2023
Sydney Gallant (W) - 2023
Caroline Hilliard (W) - 2023
Kaleb Ambrose (M) - 2023
Riley Center (M) - 2023
Jonathan Lehe (M) - 2023
Nytrinitey Jenkins (W) - 2024
Shaneil Lysight (W) - 2024
Derica Currie (W) - 2024
Riley Center (M) - 2024
*bold denotes most recent honorees
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