2016 USTFCCCA All-Academic Individuals (men's track & field)
2016 USTFCCCA All-Academic Individuals (women's track & field)

NEW ORLEANS -- In a Thursday announcement, Academy of Art University men's track & field distance runners Valentin Pepiot and Pierre Fontanarosa along with women's track & field jumper/sprinter Amanda Odesjo were each awarded 2016 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic honors.

"These three worked hard all year and are deserving of the recognition," said director of track & field/cross country Torrey Olson. "It is also a great sign of the growth of our program and we hope to see that trend continue."

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track & 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.

Pepiot, who was named both Pacific West Conference Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year and CoSIDA Academic All-American earlier this summer, finished his senior year with a 3.69 cumulative GPA in the School of Multimedia Communications. After setting program records in the indoor mile and outdoor 800m, 1500m, and 5000m, the Frenchman wrapped up his collegiate career as a two-time NCAA All-American in track & field with inspired performances in both the 1500m and 5000m at Outdoor Nationals. In recognition of both his postseason success and the 28 points he scored at the 2016 PacWest Championships (titles in both the 1500m and 5000m), Pepiot would also add the honor of PacWest Conference Track Athlete of the Year.

Competing alongside his countryman much of the year, Fontanarosa finished 2016 with a NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the 1500m along with a 3.26 GPA in the School of Multimedia Communications. The graduate student's personal best of 3:51.28 came at the Sacramento State Hornet Invitational during the Urban Knights' outdoor campaign. Fontanarosa remains third on the the program's all-time list with that time.

En route to her cumulative 3.72 GPA in Web Design & New Media, Odesjo launched herself to a personal record in the long jump during this past year's indoor season. Saving her best for last, Odesjo's jump of 18-5.75 (5.63m) came at the Boston University Last Chance Meet and would hit the NCAA provisional standard. Her mark would solidify her as second all-time in ART U history.

"This is a great honor for three individuals who exemplify what we want our program standards to be for our student-athletes. Congratulations to Amanda, Val, and Pierre!" said head coach Kevin LaSure.

Pepiot was two of the 249 men representing 90 institutions and Odesjo was one of 483 women from 117 institutions who earned this distinguished USTFCCCA All-Academic honor for their combined academic and athletic accomplishments.