Washington & Jefferson College

Four Track & Field Athletes Earn All-Academic Laurels

WASHINGTON, Pa. –  Four Washington & Jefferson College student-athletes recently earned Division III All-Academic awards from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). 

2011 graduates Katelynd McElhany (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) and Michelle Wuenstel (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) and senior C.J. Corcoran (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) were selected to the women’s team, while junior Scott Ryan (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville East) earned a spot on the men’s squad. 

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a 3.30 cumulative GPA and have met an NCAA automatic or provisional qualifying mark.  Ryan was one of 200 Division III male student-athletes honored from 72 different institutions.  The W&J women’s trio were joined by 325 others representing a total of 102 colleges or universities. 

McElhany and Wuenstel capped their careers by helping W&J win its third Presidents’ Athletic Conference Women’s Track & Field Championship.  McElhany was the high point winner and conference MVP at the championship event, while Wuenstel went on to represent W&J at the NCAA Division III Championships.  She became the first the first W&J athlete in a track event to earn NCAA All-America laurels after taking sixth in the 400 meters (56.67).  Both Wuenstel and McElhany were selected as CoSIDA Academic All-District award winners. 

Corcoran also competed at the NCAA Division III Championships and claimed 16th place in the javelin (130’9”).  She was the second woman in school history to compete in the national javelin championship.  Corcoran, a member of the W&J swimming & diving team in the winter, was the PAC Field MVP at the league championships. 

Ryan continued his mastery of the PAC long distance events at the conference championships by winning the 5,000 meters (15:14.81) and 10,000 meters (31:40.39), while also claiming second place in the 1,500 meters (4:03.21).  He earned his NCAA provisional mark after winning the 10,000-meter title at the ECAC Division III Championships with a school-record time of 31:12.41.  Last summer, Ryan competed at the United States Junior Championships and placed 17th in the 10,000-meter race.  He is also a two-time All-PAC runner for the cross country team in the fall.

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