Trey Culver was named Male Field Scholar Athlete of the Year as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) this afternoon. This marks the first time in Texas Tech Track & Field history that a student-athlete has earned the honor.
The junior high jumper concluded the year with a 3.387 GPA, an Indoor NCAA Championships high jump title, a Big 12 Outdoor Championship crown and an Outdoor NCAA Championships silver medal.
“It is a huge honor and a blessing,” said Culver. “It’s a reflection of all the hard work that I put in both on and off the track, and I couldn’t be happier or more appreciative.”
This is the second time Culver has made Texas Tech history this year, the first being his back-to-back indoor national titles. The two titles also marked this first time in NCAA history that a student-athlete has swept consecutive indoor high jump titles.
“Trey Culver exemplifies what a true student-athlete should be, Head Coach Wes Kittley said. “To be that good athletically and then on top of that a great student, it really shows you what a great individual Trey is.”
Additionally, Texas Tech had two males and four females named All-Academic Individuals topped with the women’s team earning All-Academic honors.
On the women’s side: Zuliat Alli, Jocelyn Caro, Crystal Onwukaife and Reece Timmons all earned individual All-Academic titles.
Seniors Caro and Timmons both had outstanding finishes to their last season with the Red Raiders, both hitting career highs to conclude the year.
“These two seniors are great examples of what we’re all about. They have always shown great leadership and are solid examples of what it is like to be a Red Raider.”
Alli and Onwukaife had great freshman seasons. Onwukaife represented Texas Tech at the NCAA West Regional in the shot put, while Alli went on to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the long jump.
Adding to the count on the men’s side is Chancellor Stephenson and Dorian Williams. Both Stephenson and Williams finished their first season at Tech with All-Big 12 Honors.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with how our four newcomers (Chance, Dorian, Crystal, Zuliat) came in and bought into the culture of our program. They had great starts here at Tech.”
To qualify for USTFCCCA All-Academic honors, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and have met at least one of the following athletic standards:
For the indoor season, a student-athlete must have finished the regular season ranked in the national top 96 in an individual event or ranked in the national top 48 (collective listing) in a relay event on the official NCAA POP list provided by TFRRS.org.
For the outdoor season, a student-athlete must have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Championships (including preliminary rounds).
The Texas Tech women’s track & field team was one of 218 honored for their achievements in the classroom, ending the season with a 3.06 cumulative GPA.
Texas Tech Cross Country season kicks off on Friday, Sept. 1 at New Mexico State. Following, on Sept. 9, the Red Raiders will host the Texas Tech Open on the Rawls Course.
