15 from the SEC named Academic All-Americans

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Aug. 12, 2021)—–A total of 15 Southeastern Conference student-athletes have been named to the 2020-21 Academic All-America® Division I Track & Field/Cross Country Teams, according to an announcement Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The CoSIDA Academic All-America® program recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in the competition realm and in the classroom.

Six SEC student-athletes garnered first team honors, including Alabama’s Vincent Kiprop, Mercy Chelangat, Tamara Clark, Daija Lampkin and Samantha Zelden and LSU’s Lisa Gunnarsson.

Second team selections included Kentucky’s Josh Sobota, Celera Barnes and Abby Steiner, Alabama’s Jake Spotswood, Arkansas’ Nastassja Campbell and Georgia’s Jessica Drop. Georgia’s Matthew Boling, Vanderbilt’s Nick Laning and Kentucky’s Molly Leppelmeier were named to the third team.

Of the 46 members on the Academic All-America® Division I women’s track & field/cross country team, 19 boast a perfect 4.0 GPA. That group includes Gunnarsson (LSU), Lampkin (Alabama), Zelden (Alabama), Campbell (Arkansas), and Leppelmeier (Kentucky).

Drop (Georgia), Lampkin (Alabama), Zelden (Alabama) and Kiprop (Alabama) were repeat selections to the Academic All-America® Division I men’s and women’s track & field/cross country teams.

A total of 24 SEC track and field/cross student-athletes were named to the 2020-21 Academic All-District® Men’s and Women’s Track & Field / Cross Country Teams earlier this summer.

2020-21 Academic All-America ® Team – Men’s Track & Field / Cross Country
Vincent Kiprop (Alabama) – First Team
Josh Sobota (Kentucky) – Second Team
Jake Spotswood (Alabama) – Second Team
Matthew Boling (Georgia) – Third Team
Nick Laning (Vanderbilt) – Third Team

2020-21 Academic All-America ® Team – Women’s Track & Field / Cross Country
Mercy Chelangat (Alabama) – First Team
Tamara Clark (Alabama) – First Team
Lisa Gunnarsson (LSU) – First Team
Daija Lampkin (Alabama) – First Team
Samantha Zelden (Alabama) – First Team
Celera Barnes (Kentucky) – Second Team
Nastassja Campbell (Arkansas) – Second Team
Jessica Drop (Georgia) – Second Team
Abby Steiner (Kentucky) – Second Team
Molly Leppelmeier (Kentucky) – Third Team