Tommie Sports - Men's Track and Field
MTF's Phil Bastron voted Academic All-American
June 18, 2009St. Thomas sprinter Phil Bastron is among 15 runners voted to the ESPN the Magazine College Division Academic All-America first team for men's track and field/cross country.
Bastron (SR-Pleasant Prairie, Wis.), shown at right, has a 3.93 gpa in Economics and International Business. He's a three-time relay All-American and helped the Tommies claim a 4x400 national title and take third in the team chase at last month's nationals. he also ran on the 2009 indoor 4x400 team that placed eighth and ran on a 4x100 team that took eighth in 2007.
Bastron also helped the Toms win seven of a possible eight MIAC team titles indoors and outdoors on his career. He was a member six conference relay champion teams and one runner-up placing. He also scored several times in dash events from 55 to 400 meters.
Bastron is the fourth Tommie student-athlete of 2008-09 to make CoSIDA Academic All-America. St. Thomas likely will have one or two others as All-Americans Katie Theisen (4.00 gpa) and Nikki Arola (3.97 gpa) are also on the national ballot in women's track/CC. That team will be announced Friday.
Bastron's AAA award is the seventh for a Tommie men's trackster in the last 11 years.
In all, 45 men's athletes were honored in the College Division on three 15-man teams from Division II, III and NAIA schools.
Sophomores, junior and seniors with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 or better are eligible to be nominated. The voting is conducted by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and covers academics, athletics and campus and community service.
Two other MIAC men were honored -- St. John's senior jumper Eric Buss made first team, and Bethel junior hurdler Taylor Ferda made third team.
Click here to view complete men's track/CC Academic All-America team for Universoty and College Divisions:
