By: By Hunter McKay
CoSIDA Release
Kennesaw, Ga- Kennesaw State Track and Field's
Laura-Maria Oja landed a spot on the on the 2017 Academic All-District® Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Oja will now move on to the national ballot for Academic All-America Team. The women's all- academic team spans nominees from the sports of cross country and track and field. District IV includes the Division-I schools in the states of Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and Alabama.
"It's a big deal to be recognized by CoSIDA," director of track and field and cross country
Andy Eggerth said. "Laura-Maria is very deserving as she's been a model student-athlete this year with an outstanding GPA in the classroom and being invited to the NCAA Championships athletically. She represents herself and our program the way we want all of our student-athletes to."
The Owls senior was one of two ASUN Conference student-athletes to make the team. She was joined on the team by athletes from Clemson University, Florida State University, Furman University, University of Alabama, University of Florida and University of Georgia, University of Miami and University of North Florida.
It marks the first time KSU women's track and field has been recognized on a CoSIDA Academic All-District Team.
To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must participate in at least 50% of meets, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a scale of 4.0, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his current institution.
Oja, a Pärnu, Estonia native carries a 3.78 grade point average in Biochemistry. She has been selected to the ASUN All-Academic team three times in her career with the most recent one coming after this indoor season.
This indoor season, Oja competed in five meets.She set the school record in the 55m hurdles in 7.94 at Mountaineer Indoor Meet. She finished second in the 60m hurdles (8.52), fourth in 60m-dash (7.62) and fifth in 200m (25.17) at the ASUN Indoor Championships. In outdoor track, she competed in five meets as well. At the ASUN Championships, she won a gold medal in the 4x100m relay (44.64) and the silver medal in the 100m hurdles (13.54). Those times both helped her qualify for the NCAA Championships.
Oja helped lead the Owls women to their best season in program history as the team won its first ASUN Indoor Championship and ASUN Outdoor Championship title in program history in dominant fashion.
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@KSUOwlNation and
@KSUTrackFieldXC or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on
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