NEW ORLEANS – Four members of the TCNJ women's track and field team were recognized with All-Academic Athlete honors from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), which also named the Lions an All-Academic Team as the organization released its annual academic awards.

Eliza Bruncaj, Megan Gasnick, Ashlyn MacLure, and Victoria Purritano all earned All-Academic Athlete laurels, which are given to student-athletes with a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher and who meet one of the following athletic criteria:

• Must have finished the indoor season among the top-50 individuals as listed on the descending order list on TFRRS. In addition, any athletes not among the top-50 but who participated at the indoor or outdoor national championships are eligible.
• Must have competed as a member of one of the top-35 relay teams as listed on the descending order list on TFRRS. In addition, any athletes not among the top-35 relay teams but who participated in a relay at the indoor or outdoor national championships are eligible. Finally, any competing relay team member on an expanded descending order list to include 35 institutions (1 relay per institution) is eligible.

Bruncaj, an Early Childhood/Special Education major, ranked 5^th in the 4x400-meter relay (along with Gasnick, Maria Grill, and Alli Uhl), 13^th in the pentathlon, 41^st in the 60-meter hurdles and 49^th in the 200-meter dash during the indoor season. She earned All-America honors by placing 8^th in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

During the outdoor campaign, Bruncaj ranked 5^th in the 400-meter hurdles, 7^th in the 4x400 relay (with Gasnick, Grill, and Uhl), 14^th in the heptathlon, and 23^rd in the 100-meter hurdles. She garnered two more All-America awards at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, placing 4^th in the 400-meter hurdles and 7^th in the 4x400 relay.

In addition to the relays, Gasnick – Biology major – also ranked 25^th in the 400 meters during the indoor season and finished 19^th in the event at the NCAA Championships.

MacLure, an Urban Elementary Education major, was 12^th in the 4x400 (with Bruncaj, Grill, and Gasnick) during the indoor campaign, eventually placing 10^th at the NCAA Championships. In the outdoor season, she was 9^th in the 4x100 relay with Grill, Purritano, and Valandra Riggins, and that unit became All-Americans by taking 6^th in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Purritano, a Nursing major, ranked 14^th in the indoor 60-meter hurdles and finished 17^th at the NCAA Championships. Outdoors, she was 9^th in the 4x100 relay, 24^th in the 400-meter hurdles, and 26^th in the 100-meter hurdles.

The TCNJ women compiled a 3.47 team GPA, easily surpassing the required 3.10 for All-Academic Team status.