POCATELLO, Idaho- Idaho State track and field athletes
Tanner Conner,
Brooke Anger, and
Ashley VanVleet-Sturgis were named All-Academic Athletes for their accomplishments in athletics and academics this past July.
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) awards this honor to athletes who have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 while competing at a high level. The athletes must finish the season ranked in the top 96 of the country in their event(s).
"It's a cool accomplishment just in general," said Head Coach
Hillary Merkley. "But I think specifically those three people have some really high demands in their majors and in athletics. It's just a big accomplishment."
Conner is a two-sport athlete, he is a wide receiver on the football team and competes in the hurdles and sprints on the track and field team. These two sports keep him busy year-round and he has found success in both realms. He is a two-time Big Sky Indoor Champion in the 60m hurdles and now holds the Big Sky Championship record in that event. He has accomplished all this while still maintaining a high GPA and graduating with honors, Cum Laude, with a degree in criminology from the Sociology Department.
Anger is a student in the radiographic science program which prepares students to become x-ray technicians. This program is very demanding and requires students to go to clinicals in the hospital while also taking classes. This pulled her away from practice at least once a week which made training difficult. Although her training was impacted because of academics, she was the 2020 Indoor Pole Vault Champion at the Big Sky Conference meet. Her performance in track and field and the classroom show that with enough commitment it is possible to be successful in both realms.
Vanvleet-Sturgis competes in the pentathlon (five events) and heptathlon (seven events) for the team while going to school to become a nurse. She has a busy schedule throughout the year balancing practice, class from 8-5, and clinicals. This means she has to come in after to make up missed practices.. She is a Big Sky Indoor Champion in the pentathlon indoors and the heptathlon outdoors. This past year she was recognized as the MVP of the conference at the 2020 Indoor Big Sky Conference Championship meet.
"Not just these three but across the board, we've seen a lot of growth in people in their academics and you can say you're a coach and a lot of people coach sport, but I think that sport is the vehicle that helps us enhance our education. The educational experience and helping people get scholarships so they can continue their education is the reason why we're here," said Merkley. "We're here to be educated and sports adds to it. It's not the end-all, sole reason that we're here and so we always say we're in the business of developing people. And we develop academically, athletically, and personally, that's hopefully the goal."
