A quartet of Valparaiso University track & field student-athletes were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team on Tuesday as sophomore thrower Nate Smith (Lake Station, Ind. / Lake Station), sophomore distance runner Brian Sponaugle (Milton, De. / Mariner), senior thrower Tommy Palmer (Saco, Maine. / Phillips Exeter Academy) and sophomore multi athlete Katie Koryczan (Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point) were recognized for their academic and athletic success.
To qualify for CSC Academic All-District honors in track & field, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore, own at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average and must be among the top performers in their region in at least one event.
Sponaugle, who owns a 3.85 cumulative grade point average in bioengineering, ranked 22nd in the Great Lakes Region in the decathlon at 5,646. He also ranked 17th in the javelin at 54.14 meters. Koryczan, the owner of a 3.86 GPA in exercise science, ranked 43rd in the region in the heptathlon at 3,166. Palmer, who boasts a 3.76 GPA in finance, was 25th in the region in the outdoor javelin at 51.78. Smith, the owner of a 3.65 GPA in elementary education, was 39th in the region in the indoor shot put at 15.70 and 44th outdoors at 14.86.
