Five Landmark Track Performers Capture Academic Honors
MADISON, N.J. - Five Landmark Conference female track and field standouts have been recognized for their efforts in athletics and academics with selection to 2012 Capital One Academic All-District NCAA Division III Women's & Men's Track & Field/Cross Country First Teams selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Moravian College and The Catholic University of America accounted for the five selections. Kelly Carioto and Camelia Mayfield from Catholic were joined on the women's team by Abigail Schaffer of Moravian. On the men's side Timothy Layng and Gary Zack of Moravian were both selected for the men's team.
Carioto recently put the finishing touches on a wonderful career for CUA by being named the 2012 Landmark Conference Field Athlete of the Meet at the outdoor conference championships. Carioto won the shot put and discus championships at that meet, which gave her two outdoor shot put championships, to go along with her four indoor shot put titles. Carioto won the shot put seven times during the 2011-12 indoor and outdoor seasons. The school record holder in the shot put and discus, Carioto earned seven Field Athlete of the Week awards during her career and was a four-time First Team All-Landmark Conference selection. In the classroom, Carioto was named a 2011 NCAA Academic All-American, a 2011 Academic All-District selection, and she is a multi-year member of the Dean's List and Landmark Conference Academic Honor Roll. A history major, Carioto maintained a grade point average of 3.93 at CUA and was the 2011 ECAC indoor champion in the shot put, becoming the first Cardinal to win an ECAC title in over a decade.
Like Carioto, Mayfield collected a major award at the outdoor conference championships in April, as she was named the Track Athlete of the Meet. Mayfield won the 10,000 meters and 3,000 meter steeplechase at the meet, setting a new championship record in the 10,000 along the way. Mayfield won the 5000 meters at the 2011 Frank Colden and Bridgewater Invitationals and the 10,000 meters at the 2011 York Invitational. The Oregon native was also named the Landmark Conference Track Athlete of the Meet on April 30. A mutli-year member of the Dean's List and Landmark Conference Academic Honor Roll, Mayfield maintains a 3.9 GPA and is a member of the CUA Honors Program as well as the Social Work Club.
Schaffer, who was the 2011 USTFCCCA Division III Indoor National Field Athlete of the Year and the 2011 and 2012 Mideast Region Indoor and Outdoor Female Field Athlete of the Year, finished as the runner-up at the 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor national meet at a height of 4.15 meters (13 feet, 7 ½ inches). She entered the meet with NCAA Division III all-time record of 13-10 (4.22 meters) in the Greyhound Invitational on April 21st. Schaffer won four Landmark Conference titles and two ECAC titles in the pole vault in her two years at Moravian, and she has vaulted over four meters in seven meets, five of them outdoors during the 2012 season. Schaffer captured the 2011 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships with NCAA meet records each time. She graduated on May 12 with a degree in marketing.
Layng was named the NCAA Division III Elite 89 Award winner at the 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor national championships last week, and he was on the Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Third Team a year ago. Layng earned All-America for the second time this season after placing fourth in the pole vault at the NCAA outdoor meet, tying his school record height of 5.00 meters (16 feet, 4 ¾ inches). Layng was also seventh in the pole vault at the 2012 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships to earn All-America accolades for the first time in his career, and he captured his sixth Landmark Conference title in the pole vault during the outdoor championships. Layng graduated with a degree in biology earlier this month.
Zack, who was the 2012 Mideast Region Male Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year, was the runner-up in the javelin at the NCAA Championships with a toss of 67.14 meters (220 feet, three inches). Zack, the 2011 NCAA Division III National Champion in the javelin, had the top throw in the country this season with a school record toss of 69.05 meters (226 feet, six inches). The distance is the eighth best throw in NCAA Division III history and just three feet shy of the 2012 Olympic provisional qualifying standard which is 70 meters. Zack has surpassed 60 meters in ninth of ten meets this season with the only meet under 60 meters coming on his only attempt at the 2012 Landmark Conference Championships to finish as the runner-up just 27 hours after throwing in the Penn Relays College Championship flight. On the throw, Zack took just a seven-step run up and still threw 59.74 meters (196 feet). Zack completed his degree in nursing this month.
By making the All-District First Team, Schaffer, Layng and Zack are now forwarded onto the national ballot to try for Capital One Academic All-America® accolades, which will be announced on Tuesday, June 19th. Moravian has had 38 Capital One Academic All-Americans® including 33 in the last 18 years and three already in 2011-12.
To be eligible for Capital One Academic All-America® accolades, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.30 grade-point average, be a sophomore, junior or senior and be a starter or significant reserve.
Story provided by Catholic & Moravian Sports Information
