NEW ORLEANS, La. – Carleton College women's track & field standouts Mary Blanchard '24, Grace Blanchette '23, Helen Cross '24, Clara Mayfield '23, Sophie McManus '25, and Hannah Preisser '26 each received individual All-Academic honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Their efforts combined with impressive classroom performances by their teammates helped the Knights post a 3.65 cumulative team grade-point average as the program earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team status for the 15th consecutive year.
 
To be nominated for the overall team award, a squad must carry a minimum 3.10 cumulative grade-point average. The Carleton women easily surpassed that mark once again, owning a team cumulative GPA of better than 3.50 for the 12th time over the last 15 years, including seven national top-20 team GPAs
 
In NCAA Division III this year, there were 216 women's teams and 167 men's programs recognized by the USTFCCCA for academic excellence. Among that group, Carleton is 1 of only 19 schools to have both its men's and women's squads record team GPAs of at least 3.60. Additionally, the Knights are 1 of only 2 MIAC programs to have both its men's and women's track & field teams own an active academic award streak of more than 13 years.
 
For individuals to qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Award, the student-athlete must compile a cumulative 3.30 GPA and either:
• compete at the NCAA Indoor or Outdoor Championships OR
• finish the indoor or outdoor regular season ranked among the national top-50 in an individual event or top-35 in a relay event on the NCAA performance list.
 
Mayfield picked up three All-America awards during the track season, finishing third in both the indoor mile and outdoor 10K race in addition to a fourth-place result in the outdoor 5K. She also placed 10th during the indoor 3000-meter run. Blanchard raced twice at nationals, finishing 14th in the mile at the NCAA indoor meet and 10th in the 800-meter run at the outdoor championships. Preisser also competed at nationals in two events, placing 13th during the indoor 5,000-meter race and 17th in the 10K at the NCAA outdoor meet. Cross earned a spot at nationals, finishing 12th during the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Meanwhile, Blanchette made the top-50 cut for the heptathlon and McManus ranked inside the top-50 for the indoor 3,000-meter run and outdoor 3,000-meter steeplechase.
 
Mayfield earned individual the All-Academic Award for the third consecutive year while Blanchette was a repeat honoree.