Men’s Track, Cross Country Earn Five CSC Academic All-District Honors
UPLAND, Ind. – The Taylor men's track & field and cross country teams combined to earn a maximum five CSC Academic All-District honors from the 2023-24 seasons, as announced on June 18 by the College Sports Communicators.
Standout sophomores Josh Forbes and Ryan Hanak and seniors Nathan Brainer, Ben Eiffert and Jake Thompson earned the awards for TU, recognizing both their athletic accomplishments and scholarly successes.
Forbes picked up the CSC Academic All-District nod as an NAIA All-American pole vaulter during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. The sophomore capped both seasons with individual Crossroads League titles in the pole vault, followed by a second- and fifth-place finish at the NAIA Indoor and NAIA Outdoor National Championships, respectively. In the classroom, Forbes produced a 3.88 GPA as a computer science major.
Hanak, a computer science-cybersecurity major with a 3.70 GPA, claimed a CSC Academic All-District award as a top runner on TU's ninth-ranked cross country team. Hanak claimed All-Crossroads League honors and hit NAIA A standard in both cross country and in the 3,000 meters from the indoor season, the latter of which saw him win the 3,000 meters in two separate indoor meets. The Hebron, Kentucky, native was Taylor's top finisher in the Crossroads League Cross Country Championships with a time of 24:50.06.
Brainer picked up his first CSC Academic All-District honor with his impressive 3.94 GPA as a social work major and for his key contributions in the 800 meters on the track squad. The senior finished inside the top 20 on the CL performance lists in the 800 meters during both the indoor and outdoor seasons, and he was awarded All-Crossroads League as a member of the 4x800-meter relay teams during both seasons. Brainer qualified for the NAIA National Championships on the 4x800-meter squad on a combined three instances throughout his career.
Eiffert is a three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete with an outstanding 3.98 GPA in his management/systems studies. The senior was a key contributor in all areas related to this CSC Academic All-District award during both track seasons and the cross country season. To pair with his incredible scholarly achievements, Eiffert finished 88th of 326 runners at the NAIA Cross Country Championships while placing inside the top-25 of Crossroads League performance lists in the indoor mile and outdoor 1,500 meters.
Rounding out Taylor's CSC Academic All-District nods is Thompson and his near-perfect 3.95 GPA in human physiology and preventative medicine. The senior's scholarly honor marks the second straight he has earned, as Thompson ended his athletic career on a high note. The veteran jumper won three long jump competitions during the indoor season while picking up All-Crossroads League honors in the long jump and high jump during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Thompson has qualified for three NAIA National Championships in his career, including his most recent participation at the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Championships.
The 2024 Academic All-District men's track & field and cross country teams, selected by each institution's sports information department, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their performances on the track, in the field and in the classroom. To be considered for the award, student-athletes must hold a minimum 3.50 GPA, achieve at least sophomore academic status and reach certain performance thresholds in their respective track events or cross country races.
All five of Taylor's all-district honorees have advanced to the Academic All-America national ballot to be voted on by members of the CSC, with the men's results being released on July 10.