Five Crimson Women Named to USTFCCCA All-Academic Team

Five Harvard track and field athletes were named to the women’s 2009 Division I All-Academic Track and Field team as announced by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). A record total of 531 student-athletes representing 146 Division I institutions composed the women’s 2009 squad.

Becky Christensen ’09, Shannon Flahive ’09, Jessica Fronk ’11, Claire Richardson ’11 and Brittan Smith ’09 were all selected to the team for their academic and athletic achievements during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.

Christensen, a four-time All-American placed in the top-six in the high jump at the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships this year. She won the indoor and outdoor Heptagonal title and the ECAC high jump crown. She was named to the Academic All-Ivy League team in the winter and spring and earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American second-team honors. The Celina, Texas, native closes out her career as a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic selection.

Flahive was the indoor pentathlon champion and the outdoor heptagonal champion this year. She is the school record holder in both events and also ranks third in the Harvard annals in the 100-meter hurdles. The native of Littleton, Colo., was named second-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District I.

Fronk won the javelin title at the Heptagonal Championships for the second time in as many tries. The native of Owingen, Germany qualified for the NCAA East Regional for the second year in a row. She is a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic selection.

Richardson won the 3,000 meters at indoor Heps and provisionally qualified for NCAAs in that event. At the outdoor conference meet, she won the 3,000 meters and finished second in the 5,000 meters. Richardson's 5,000 meter time was the seventh-fastest in the Harvard annals and also a regional qualifying mark. This season she was a four-time All-Ivy League recipient, with three first-team nods. She earned Academic All-Ivy League honors for the spring season and was named second-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District I. She was also named to the USTFCCCA All- Academic team for cross country this fall.

Smith is making her first appearance of the USTFCCCA All-Academic team after qualifying for the NCAA Regional in the long jump for the first time. Smith jumped a career-best 6.02 meters to finish third at the ECAC Championships.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and have met either the NCAA Division I Indoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard or the NCAA Division I Outdoor regional or national qualifying standard in their respective event.