2013 USTFCCCA NCAA Division II All-Academic Women's Track & Field Team
2013 USTFCCCA NCAA Division II All-Academic Men's Track & Field Team

New Orleans, LA -- Academy of Art University Track & Field seniors Jenny Bergren and Erik Piedad have both named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Track & Field Team in an announcement Wednesday. Each in the respective final years competing at the intercollegiate level, Bergren and Piedad were standout artists in the School of Interior Architecture & Design and both represented the Urban Knights at the NCAA Division II National 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 reached a provisional or automatic qualifying standard for the NCAA Championships in either indoor or outdoor seasons. A total of 384 female student-athletes representing 92 institutions and 210 male student-athletes representing 74 institutions met these requirements.

Bergren, the first NCAA All-American and PacWest Runner of the Year during the cross country season, made her second appearance on a USTFCCCA All-Academic team this year after earning the distinction in the fall as well. She boasted a 3.54 GPA along the way as she dominated the Urban Knights' indoor track & field season. Bergren garnered NCAA All-American honors in the 1 mile to provide a vital contribution to ART U's historic first NCAA Championship. During outdoor, Bergren turned in a 16:29.38 program record in the 5,000m at the Mt. SAC Relays and later earned USTFCCCA All-Region Team honors as a result.

Piedad, who sported a 3.45 GPA this year in his second consecutive stint as team captain, was the epitome of a team player. On an individual level, Piedad achieved personal records in two events (100m, 400m), but it was his success as part of both the 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams that elevated him to a national contender. A USTFCCCA NCAA DII Indoor All-Region Team (4x100m) and All-PacWest Second Team (4x400m) recipient, Piedad ran the third leg in ART U's 8th-ranked 4x100m relay team (40.38) and helped set new school records in both relays.