TOWSON, Md. – College of Idaho standouts Austin Basterrechea and Hillary Holt were honored today by the College Sports Information Directors of America as first-team members of the Capital One College Division Cross Country/Track & Field Academic All-America Team.
It marks the second-straight season that the duo were honored as first-team selections – with Basterrechea also earning third-team honors during the 2012 season.
Basterrechea was honored earlier this season as a member of the Cascade Conference All-Academic Team for the third time and was named an NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete for the second-straight year. The senior, from Gooding, had a banner outdoor track season – winning the CCC decathlon and 110-meter titles. He qualified for the NAIA Championships indoors in the heptathlon and outdoors in the decathlon – earning All-America honors in both events.
Holt was honored earlier this season as a member of the CCC All-Academic Team in both cross country and track for the third time and was named an NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete for the second-straight year in both sports. The senior, from Meridian, had an amazing 2013-14 season – which will be capped later this week at the U.S. Track & Field National Championships in Sacramento, Calif. In cross country, she won 5-of-6 races – including her second-straight CCC and NAIA National Championship, recording the fastest 5,000-meter time in program history. In indoor track, she set school records in the 800-meters and the mile-run– winning the NAIA titles in both events, along with anchoring the championship winning distance medley relay. In outdoor track, Holt set school records in the 800-meters – winning the CCC title in the 800-meters and 1,500-meters, while defending her 1,500-meter title at the NAIA Championships.
To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 19,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
