NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt men’s and women’s cross country teams earned All-Academic team honors for the 2021 season it was recently announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
McKenzie Yanek (human development counseling) represented the Commodores as one of the 114 women, from 58 different institutions, to earn individual recognition. Matthew Estopinal (computer science) and Nick Laning (civil engineering) earned individual All-Academic recognition by the USTFCCCA.
These honorees maintained a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale and finish in the top 25 (or 10 percent) at the NCAA Regional Championships or as an All-American at the NCAA Championships.
The Vanderbilt women combined for a 3.707 GPA with the men’s achieving a cumulative 3.736 GPA. In order to qualify for All-Academic distinction, teams must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period.
Overall, there were 168 women’s and 150 men’s teams that received All-Academic honors in NCAA Division I.
At the 2021 SEC Cross Country Championships, the Commodores had numerous top-20 finishers. Postseason racing continued at the NCAA South Regionals with the women placed sixth and the men finishing 12th overall.
Yanek, Laning, and Estopinal were all tabbed as All-Region honorees by the USTFCCA following the NCAA Regional Championships.
Yanek added all-region accolades to her career with a 17th-place finish of 20:20.26 at the regional meet. In the 2021 season, Yanek finished first or second on the team at every meet.
The second man in SEC history to win SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year more than once, Laning earned all-region honors with his 21st-place finish of 30:27.81 in the 10-kilometer regional race. Also, among the top 25 male finishers was Estopinal. In a homecoming race, the Huntsville native earned all-region honors with his 25th-place finish of 30:36.01.
