Abdalah, Hill Earn Academic All-District Recognition
May 29, 2020 03:46 PM | Cross Country, Track & Field
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (May 29, 2020) – Redshirt senior Olivia Hill and redshirt sophomore Marianne Abdalah of the West Virginia University cross country and track and field teams have been named to the 2019-20 Academic All-District II Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Friday.
The honor is the second for Hill, while Abdalah picks up her first career All-District honor. The duo advances to the CoSIDA Academic All-America National ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honors are set to be announced in June.
The WVU cross country/track and field programs have had at least one representative on the Academic All-District Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team for 14 consecutive seasons, which dates back to 2006-07. During that period, the Mountaineers have placed multiple student-athletes on the team nine times.
"Academics have always been at the center of our program's traditions," WVU coach Sean Cleary said. "Both Marianne and Olivia have been exceptional since the day they arrived on campus. Today, they have been rewarded for the incredible efforts they have put forward in the classroom."
Hill is a native of Scott Depot, West Virginia, and maintained a 3.98 grade-point average (GPA) while majoring in exercise physiology. She has been named to the Academic-All Big 12 First Team four times in cross country and track and field, was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team in 2015 and has earned recognition on the President's and Dean's Lists.
A member of the Garrett Ford Academic and Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Rolls, Hill was named a recipient of the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award in 2019. She also was a 2019 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Individual selection.
In competition, Hill earned All-Big 12 recognition at the 2019 Big 12 Cross Country Championship in Waco, Texas, after crossing the finish line in ninth place. She registered three top-10 finishes in the 2019 cross country season. On the track, Hill has qualified for the NCAA regionals twice in her career.
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Abdalah earns her first Academic All-District honor. She majors in biology, while maintaining a 3.95 GPA. Abdalah is a two-time member of the Academic All-Big 12 First Team in cross country and track and field, and she was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team in 2018. A member of the Garrett Ford Academic and Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Rolls, she also has earned recognition on the President's and Dean's Lists.
Abdalah notched a pair of top-10 finishes during the 2019 cross country season, helping WVU to a victory at the Lock Haven Invitational. On the track, she notched a win in the mile at the WVU Open during the 2019-20 indoor campaign.
Additionally, the Mountaineer cross country team maintained a GPA of 3.81 during the Spring 2020 semester, while the track and field team posted a combined GPA of 3.75.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The honor is the second for Hill, while Abdalah picks up her first career All-District honor. The duo advances to the CoSIDA Academic All-America National ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honors are set to be announced in June.
The WVU cross country/track and field programs have had at least one representative on the Academic All-District Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team for 14 consecutive seasons, which dates back to 2006-07. During that period, the Mountaineers have placed multiple student-athletes on the team nine times.
"Academics have always been at the center of our program's traditions," WVU coach Sean Cleary said. "Both Marianne and Olivia have been exceptional since the day they arrived on campus. Today, they have been rewarded for the incredible efforts they have put forward in the classroom."
Hill is a native of Scott Depot, West Virginia, and maintained a 3.98 grade-point average (GPA) while majoring in exercise physiology. She has been named to the Academic-All Big 12 First Team four times in cross country and track and field, was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team in 2015 and has earned recognition on the President's and Dean's Lists.
A member of the Garrett Ford Academic and Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Rolls, Hill was named a recipient of the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award in 2019. She also was a 2019 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Individual selection.
In competition, Hill earned All-Big 12 recognition at the 2019 Big 12 Cross Country Championship in Waco, Texas, after crossing the finish line in ninth place. She registered three top-10 finishes in the 2019 cross country season. On the track, Hill has qualified for the NCAA regionals twice in her career.
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Abdalah earns her first Academic All-District honor. She majors in biology, while maintaining a 3.95 GPA. Abdalah is a two-time member of the Academic All-Big 12 First Team in cross country and track and field, and she was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team in 2018. A member of the Garrett Ford Academic and Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Rolls, she also has earned recognition on the President's and Dean's Lists.
Abdalah notched a pair of top-10 finishes during the 2019 cross country season, helping WVU to a victory at the Lock Haven Invitational. On the track, she notched a win in the mile at the WVU Open during the 2019-20 indoor campaign.
Additionally, the Mountaineer cross country team maintained a GPA of 3.81 during the Spring 2020 semester, while the track and field team posted a combined GPA of 3.75.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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