2022 USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams (women's track & field)
2022 USTFCCCA All-Academic Individuals (women's track & field)
2022 USTFCCCA All-Academic Individuals (men's track & field)

NEW ORLEANS -- In a Wednesday announcement by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, Academy of Art University track & field had seven Urban Knights earn All-Academic Individual awards in addition to the fourth All-Academic Team honor in program history for the women's squad. Distance runner Natalia Novak, mid-distance runners Delanie Dykes and Alexandria Okon, and hurdler Alice Coisne were among the individuals featured on the women's side while the men's team was represented by sprinters Kaze Poitier, Makarios Page, and Ajani Ince.

"We are extremely proud of the things accomplished in the classroom and on the track by Alice, Delanie, Natalia, Alexandria, Ajani, Makarios and Kaze," said Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Kevin LaSure. "They should all be commended for the time and effort they put into their studies while balancing a successful track & field season."

In order to make the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team list, a program must have collectively delivered a 3.00 cumulative team grade point average or higher for the year. The academic success of 14 women's track & field student-athletes was factored into a 3.15 GPA with 12 of those individuals posting or contributing to times/distances that were NCAA Division II provisional marks across the indoor and outdoor seasons. To read more about what Academy of Art achieved this season, click here. There were a total of 100 women's teams honored by the USTFCCCA for their academic success.

"Our women's team accomplished many great feats this season and this is right at the top of the list," LaSure said. "We always tell our teams that no matter how great you are, you can't compete forever. It's great to see them setting themselves up for life after being able to physically compete by taking care of business in the classroom and earning degrees."

To qualify for USTFCCCA All-Academic honors individually, the student-athlete must have compiled a minumum cumulative GPA of 3.25 and have reached a provisional or automatic qualifying standard for the NCAA Championships in either the indoor or outdoor seasons.

Novak maintained a 3.71 cumulative GPA in the School of Communications & Media Technologies while breaking numerous program records during the 2022 season. The native of Békéscsaba, Hungary began the indoor campaign with a 4:45.71 mile at the Fastrack Last Chance Invitational on Feb. 25, added a 9:30.67 mark in the 3000m at the BU Last Chance Meet on Feb. 27, then joined her teammates for an 11:39.07 distance medley relay time at Indoor Nationals on Mar. 11 which made the quartet All-Americans.

During the Knights' outdoor track & field progression, Novak defended her PacWest title in the 800m (giving her five career All-PacWest First Team honors), later broke her own program record in the event with a 2:07.81 at the APU Last Chance Meet on May 13, and entered Outdoor Nationals ranked ninth in the 1500m as well as 10th in the 800m. After taking 10th in the 1500m on May 28, the Communications & Media Technologies major closed the 2022 season out with her sixth All-American honor, earning seven All-Region selections (four indoor, three outdoor), CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team, and now her third consecutive USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual selection after everything was said and done.

On the same All-American distance medley relay team as Novak after sharing in a successful cross country campaign, Dykes worked toward a 3.64 cumulative GPA School of Advertising during 2022. The final week of the indoor regular season saw the native of Gibson City, Ill. first run a season-best 4:58.00 in the mile at the Fastrack Last Chance Invitational on Feb. 25 then her fastest 800m of the year at 2:13.95 at the BU Last Chance Meet on Feb. 27, posting Indoor Nationals provisional times in both events. After qualifying, the DMR team comprised of Dykes, Erine Collard, Lina Hanich, and Novak would also break the program record at Indoor Nationals. Dykes was All-Region in both the mile and DMR.

Prior to claiming a silver medal in the 1500m at the PacWest Conference Championships on Apr. 30 amid ART U's outdoor season, Dykes ran her best time in the event, 4:28.08, at the Bryan Clay Invitational on Apr. 15. The Outdoor Nationals provisional mark had her 31st in the country heading into the postseason meet and second in program history behind only Novak. Dykes becomes a USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual for the first time in her Academy of Art career.

Stepping onto the track for her final outdoor season this past spring, Okon already was on her way to a 3.41 cumulative GPA in the School of Fashion. The native of Laurel, Md. steadily dropped her time in the 800m, taking nearly six full seconds off over the first month for a 2:12.86 at the Bryan Clay Invitational on Apr. 14. Though Okon was less than a second from reaching the podium in the event at the PacWest Conference Championships, she saved her best for the APU Last Chance Meet on May 13. There Okon posted a 2:10.84, making her an Outdoor Nationals provisional qualifier and the fourth-fastest Urban Knight to date at 800m. This is the first USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual award for Okon since joining Academy of Art.

En route to the highest cumulative GPA of all ART U selections at 3.95, Coisne excelled both in the School of Communications & Media Technologies and on the track in 2022. In addition to contributing to the Knights' 10th-ranked DMR during the regular season who had gone 11:39.35 at the Indoor Gorilla Classic on Feb. 11, the native of Le Malesherbois, France was a part of all three 4x400m relay team marks that garnered provisional qualification for Indoor Nationals. The top of that trio, which went 3:42.22 and came with Ombretta Picciolie Minkue Meye, Selena Arjona-Alcazar, and Collard at the BU Last Chance Meet on Feb. 27, was second not only in program history, but also the national landscape prior to the postseason finale. Coisne finished with All-Region honors in the DMR and 4x400m.

All-PacWest First Team honors went to Coisne along with her 4x400m teammates Collard, Minkue Meye, and Arjona-Alcazar at the PacWest Championships on Apr. 30 then she teamed with Arjona-Alcazar, Minkue Meye, and Alisha Wilson to go 3:43.60 at the Oxy Invitational on May 7, rising the quartet to 13th in the country ahead of Outdoor Nationals. Now a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual in her career, Coisne was also bestowed the Best Graduate Producer award after making her second consecutive Spring Show appearance.

Demonstrating his talents both on the track and in the School of Interaction & UI/UX Design, Poitier was the owner of a 3.60 cumulative GPA in 2022. His final competitive seasons as a collegiate sprinter were first highlighted by his work alongside Page, Duncan Agyemang, and Shareez Hamm in the indoor 4x400m relay where a 3:14.29 effort at the Division 2 Rumble In The Jungle came on Jan. 21 and elevated the quartet to what would remain a top 20 mark in the country as Indoor Nationals provisional qualifiers.

Back in action in April, Poitier highlighted the month by winning the conference title in the 4x100m relay as he joined with Daquan Berry, Hamm, and Agyemang to go 40.95 at the PacWest Conference Championships on Apr. 30. On May 14 at the APU Last Chance Meet, the Nassau, Bahamas native found himself back with Page, Agyemang, and Hamm for the Urban Knights' fastest 4x400m time of the season at 3:12.90, earning them an All-Region selection.

Now a five-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual over the course of his career, Poitier closes the book on his collegiate run with the 2022 ARTY for Best Individual GPA by a male student-athlete and his first appearance in Spring Show where he received Outstanding Original Typeface Design.

Regularly serving as the leadoff leg in Academy of Art's relays throughout 2022, Page also provided that spark in the classroom. His 3.40 cumulative GPA in the School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media complemented first an impressive indoor season where he was All-Region in both the 400m dash and 4x400m relay. His and the team's top times in the two events came at the BU Last Chance Meet on Feb. 27 where he went 48.56 in the 400m and joined Agyemang, Ince, and Hamm for a 3:10.15 that would put the Urban Knights second in the nation ahead of Indoor Nationals (they also had two other marks in the top 30). Finishing fourth with those same teammates on the big stage on Mar. 12, Page wrapped up the indoor campaign as an All-American once more.

The outdoor season brought more opportunities and it was with his fellow Knights where Page shined the brightest. At the APU Last Chance Meet on May 14, he along with Agyemang, Poitier, and Hamm went 3:12.90 to secure both an Outdoor Nationals provisional qualification as well as All-Region. A seven-time All-Region honoree in his career, Page collects his second USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual selection in the past two years.

After being All-Region in his debut season with Academy of Art in 2021, Ince was an All-American in 2022. The Barbados native turned in a 3.46 cumulative GPA in the School of Architecture while helping the Urban Knights' indoor 4x400m relay produce two of the program's top four times to date. One of those marks, 3:10.15, came at the BU Last Chance Meet on Feb. 27 and elevated the quartet to second in NCAA Division II as well as third in ART U history. That effort, which came with two other All-Region selections for Ince in the 60m and 200m, propelled the squad to take fourth at Indoor Nationals on Mar. 12, raising All-American trophies on the podium in the process.

As the year shifted outdoors, Ince found himself bettering NCAA Division I programs at 40.59 with 4x100m relay teammates Hamm, Berry, and Agyemang at the Mt. SAC Relays on Apr. 16. That performance ended up putting the Knights into a tie for 21st in the country in the event and All-Region in the process. This is the first time in Ince's career that he was named a USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual.

Novak, Coisne, Dykes, and Okon were among the more than 400 Division II women to earn the honor while Poitier, Page, and Ince were three of the more than 400 men awarded this distinguished USTFCCCA All-Academic honor for their combined academic and athletic accomplishments.