DALLAS – A total of 22 Conference USA men’s and women’s track and field student-athletes were selected to the 2021 C-USA Track and Field All-Academic Teams. Charlotte and North Texas led the conference with four honorees across the two teams.
 
2021 Conference USA Men’s Track and Field All-Academic Team
Paul Arredondo, Charlotte, R-Sr., 4.0, Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics and Analytics
Jurcek Korpic Lesiak, Charlotte, So., 4.0, Pre-Kinesiology
Conner Killian, Louisiana Tech, Gr., 4.0, Master of Business Administration
Brian Rono, Middle Tennessee, Jr., 3.714, Integrated Studies
Jaquez Torian, Middle Tennessee, Sr., 3.738, Aerospace
Caleb Bouchard, North Texas, Jr., 4.0, Biomedical Engineering major, Mathematics/Biological Science and Chemistry minors
Logan Mitchell, North Texas, So., 4.0, Psychology major, Philosophy minor
Christopher Samaniego, North Texas, Jr., 3.728, Kinesiology major, History minor
Andrew Abikhaled, Rice, Sr., 3.8, Neuroscience major, Global Health Technologies, Biochemistry & Cell Biology and Business minors
Corbett Fong, Rice, Jr., 3.96, Mechanical Engineering
Dylan Evans, Southern Miss, So., 4.0, Political Science major, Business Administration minor
 
2021 Conference USA Women’s Track and Field All-Academic Team
Riley Felts, Charlotte, Jr., 4.0, Civil Engineering major, Mathematics minor, Master of Civil Engineering early entry
Chandler Horton, Charlotte, Jr., 3.851, Civil Engineering major, Mathematics minor
Madlen Kappeler, Florida Atlantic, R-So., 3.96, Exercise Science and Health Promotion
Callie Ezell, Louisiana Tech, Jr., 4.0, Animal Science
Bailey Ashmore, North Texas, R-Sr., 4.0, Materials Science and Engineering (Graduate)
Grace Forbes, Rice, So., 3.84, Sports Medicine & Exercise Physiology
Sarah Parnell, Southern Miss, Fr., 4.0, Kinesiology
Brittany Floyd, UAB, Sr., 3.52, Accounting
Lisa Petkov, UAB, Gr., 3.78, Master of Business Administration
Ingeborg Gruenwald, UTSA, So., 4.0, Global Affairs
Nikki Ogorek, WKU, Sr., 4.0, Visual Arts with concentration in Graphic Design & User Experience double major, Digital Advertising minor
 
Charlotte’s Paul Arredondo holds a 4.0 graduate grade-point average (GPA) in a graduate certificate in health informatics and analytics. He finished third in 10000m at the C-USA outdoor championships, and competed in the 3000m, 5000m and 10000m events indoors and outdoors this season. The redshirt senior is a one-time C-USA Academic Medal and two-time C-USA Honor Roll honoree. Arredondo helped the Charlotte men’s team to their second straight indoor title and the 49ers’ second straight outdoor title.
 
Jurcek Korpic Lesiak has a 4.0 GPA in pre-kinesiology at Charlotte. He is a three-time Chancellor’s List (3.8 or higher GPA) member a two-time Conference USA Academic Medal honoree and a two-time Conference USA Honor Roll member. He competed in both indoor and outdoor in the weight throw, shot put and hammer throw events. The sophomore helped the men’s team to their second straight indoor title after totaling eight points in the weight throw, where he won silver with a PR throw of 19.40m, and also helped the 49ers to their second straight outdoor title with a silver medal in the hammer throw.
 
Conner Killian of Louisiana Tech has earned a 4.0 GPA in his graduate studies for a MBA and a 3.94 GPA in his undergrad work. He was a member of LA Tech’s AD Honor Roll 11 times, Dean’s List 10 times and the President’s List nine times. Killian has been a member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll four times and a C-USA Academic Medalist four times. The graduate student participated in the 800m and 1500m outdoors for the Bulldogs, and he finished second in the 1500-meter run with a lifetime-best time of 3:55.89 at the LSU Boots Garland Invitational.
 
Middle Tennessee’s Brian Rono posted a 3.714 GPA in integrated studies. The junior posted the fastest time in C-USA in the 800m at 1:56.55 with a second-place finish at the C-USA Indoor Track & Field Championships… Recorded a 1:48.95 in the 800m at the Joe Walker Invitational, and took the gold medal in the 800m and the bronze in the 1500m in the C-USA Outdoor Championships.
 
Jaquez Torian of Middle Tennessee holds a 3.738 GPA in aerospace. He posted the third fastest time in C-USA in the 400m at 47.95 with a second-place finish at the C-USA Indoor Track & Field Championships. The senior recorded a 46.98 in the 400m at the War Eagle Invitational on April 17, which ranked 84th nationally and fourth in C-USA.
 
North Texas’ Caleb Bouchard has a 4.0 grade-point average in biomedical engineering with minors in mathematics, biological sciences and chemistry. The junior made the President’s List in Fall 2018 through Fall 2020. He also made the C-USA Honor Roll in Fall 2018 through Fall 2020. He was a recipient of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal for the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 academic years. Bouchard captured first place in the 3000m at the H-Town SpeedCity Series I in January and ran a personal best 14:47.20 in the 5000m for third place at the UT Arlington Invite in April.
 
Logan Mitchell from North Texas posted a 4.0 grade-point average in psychology with a minor in philosophy. The sophomore made the President’s List in Fall 2019-Fall 2020, was a recipient of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal for the 2019-2020 academic year and made the C-USA Honor Roll Fall 2019-Fall 2020. He placed first in the 3000m at the Kansas State Wildcat Invitational in January, and competed in both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
 
North Texas’ Christopher Samaniego earned a 3.728 GPA in kinesiology with a concentration in all-level teacher certification and a minor in history. The junior made the C-USA Honor Roll in Fall 2018-Fall 2020, the President’s List three times and Dean’s List in Fall 2019. He was selected as the C-USA Indoor Athlete of the Week once. He was the C-USA indoor shot put champion and placed third in weight throw at the indoor championships with a personal record throw of 18.25 meters.
 
Rice’s Andrew Abikhaled had a 3.80 GPA in neuroscience with minors in global health technologies, biochemistry & cell biology and business. The senior is a four-time CUSA Academic Honor Roll recipient, a one-time Rice University President’s Honor Roll member, a one-time Rice University Scholar-Athlete and Rice University Honor Athlete. He won the 3000m steeplechase twice, including the J. Fred Duckett Twilight where he set a PB time of 8:57.18 (2nd in C-USA) and earned C-USA all-conference honors by running on the DMR team that placed second at the C-USA Indoor Championships.
 
Corbett Fong of Rice penned a 3.96 GPA in mechanical engineering. The junior was a Rice University Scholar Athlete and Rice University Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He earned the C-USA Academic Medal three times and made the C-USA Academic Honor Roll three times. He was also the Arthur Ashe Jr Sports Scholar Qualifier twice and a Rice University President’s Honor Roll member four times. He finished second in the decathlon at the UTSA Invitational, racking up 6780 points for a new personal best (most in C-USA this season) and placed sixth in the heptathlon (3938 pts) at the C-USA Indoor Championships.
 
Southern Miss’ Dylan Evans has a 4.0 GPA in political science with a business administration minor. He earned the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal in 2019-20 and posted a perfect 4.0 GPA through his first two years at USM. He finished in the top six at three meets during his second indoor campaign and earned points in both the 800m and DMR at the C-USA Indoor Championships.
 
On the women’s side, Charlotte’s Riley Felts had a 4.0 grade-point average in civil engineering with a minor in mathematics to go along with her early entry into the master of civil engineering program. The junior was a 2020 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team member, a 2020 CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree, the 2020 Conference USA Winter Spirit of Service Award. She is also a five-time Chancellor’s List, a three-time Conference USA Academic Medal winner and a three-time C-USA Honor Roll member. She has won the C-USA pole vault title four times in her career (both indoor and outdoor).
 
Chandler Horton of Charlotte holds a 3.851 GPA in civil engineering, with a minor in mathematics. The junior is a four-time Chancellor’s List and a one-time Dean’s List honoree. She is also a three-time Conference USA Academic Medal winner and has made the Conference USA Honor Roll three times. She won gold in the 5000m at the C-USA Indoor Championships with a PR time of 16:33.56, third in school indoor history, and she took bronze in the 10000m at the C-USA outdoors.
 
Florida Atlantic’s Madlen Kappeler penned a 3.960 GPA in exercise science and health promotion. The redshirt sophomore is a two-time C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal recipient and a two-time C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll member. She is the top distance runner for the Owls, and she posted 10 top-10 finishes (five in indoor and five in outdoor).
 
Callie Ezell of Louisiana Tech had a 4.0 GPA in animal science. The junior made the AD Honor Roll eight times, Dean’s List eight time and President’s List once. She also made the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll three times and was a C-USA Academic Medalist three times. She recently got accepted into veterinary school. She participated in 800m events this season.
 
Bailey Ashmore of North Texas posted a 4.0 GPA in materials science and engineering as a graduate student. The redshirt senior made the President’s List in the Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018 and Fall 2019 semesters, the Dean’s List in the Fall 2018, Spring 2019 and Spring 2020 semesters, the C-USA Honor Roll in the Fall 2016-Fall 2020 semesters and was the recipient of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal in the 2016-17, 2017-2018, 2018-2019 academic years.  She was the Indoor Female Field Athlete of the Week once in 2021.
 
Rice’s Grace Forbes holds a 3.848 GPA in sports medicine and exercise physiology. The sophomore has been on the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll list and earned the C-USA Academic Medal. She has also made the Rice President’s Honor Roll Spring 2020 as well as the Rice Scholar-Athlete and Rice Honor Athlete lists. She was the C-USA Female Performer of the Meet at both the Indoor and Outdoor Championships in 2021. She won three outdoor and two indoor individual C-USA titles, and she was First Team All-American after placing sixth in the 5000m at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
 
Sarah Parnell had a 4.0 GPA in kinesiology at Southern Miss. The freshman found the podium as a member of the DMR team at the C-USA indoor championship, taking second with a time of 12:03.23, and also participated in the 1500m and the 3000m steeple in outdoor competition.
 
UAB’s Brittany Floyd has a 3.52 grade-point average in accounting. The senior won the Conference USA Indoor Pentathlon with a school record 3784 points, and took silver in the outdoor heptathlon in the C-USA Outdoor championships. She was a member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll three times.
 
Lisa Petkov earned a 3.78 GPA in business administration at UAB as a graduate student. She finished third at the Conference USA Indoor Championships with a personal-best time of 55.71 in the 400m, and in the 4x400-meter relay, she anchored the team to a time of 3:47.74 to take the silver in the event. She competed in the 400m hurdles and the 4x200m relay team.
 
Ingeborg Gruenwald of UTSA has a 4.0 GPA in global affairs. The sophomore was a 2020 C-USA Academic Medal recipient and a Commissioner’s Honor Roll member in her first year at UTSA and a three-time President’s List honoree. She was the 2021 C-USA Indoor long jump champion, and she earned the bronze medal at the league’s indoor meet in the triple jump. She also took silver in the long jump at the 2021 C-USA Outdoor Championships.
 
WKU’s Nikki Ogorek rounds out the women’s honorees. The senior had a 4.0 GPA as a double major in visual arts with a concentration in graphic design and user experience with a minor in digital advertising. She mad the WKU President’s List all seven completed semesters at WKU, posting a 4.0 in every term. She was also named to the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and earned the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal every year. She serves as the co-chair for WKU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She competed in the pole vault in both the indoor and outdoor seasons.