NEW ORLEANS – Earlier this week, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches of America (USTFCCCA) announced its All-Academic Awards for the 2024-25 track & field season.
 
Both the Milwaukee men's & women's track & field teams earned team honors, while four student-athletes achieved individual recognition as All-Academic Athletes: Natalie Block, Liam Richards, Anna Szepieniec, Olivia VanZeeland.
 
To earn team recognition, programs must have a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 or higher on a 4.00 scale, including the most recent grading period.
 
This year, the women's track & field team finished with a 3.608 cumulative GPA, ranking 38th in all of NCAA Division I. A total of 218 teams across the nation achieved a GPA of 3.00 or higher. Milwaukee led all Horizon League programs and ranked as the top Division I program in the State of Wisconsin.
 
The men's track & field team recorded a cumulative GPA of 3.406, placing 42nd among 177 teams qualifying teams, an improvement of 13 spots from a season ago. Milwaukee ranked second among Horizon League teams and was also the top Division I program in Wisconsin.
 
For individual honors, a student-athlete must maintain a cumulative GPA of a 3.25 on a 4.00 scale and compete at least two semesters at their respective institution. Indoor track & field honorees must have ranked among the top 96 in any championship event or top 48 in any championship relay event. Outdoor honorees must have competed in any round of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships (including preliminary rounds), or in the case of multi-event student-athletes, must have finished the season ranked in the top 48 in either the East or West region.
 
Block earned All-American honors this spring, reaching the NCAA Championships in the 400m hurdles and setting a Milwaukee program with a time of 56.92. She won the Horizon League titles in both the 100m and 400m hurdles and advanced for the national quarterfinals in the 100m hurdles. Block was named the Horizon League Female Scholar Athlete for the Track & Field season and the spring season overall. She currently holds a 3.959 GPA in graduate school at Milwaukee.

Richards, a mechanical engineering major, completed his sophomore year with a 3.510 GPA. This spring, Richards dominated the men's decathlon, winning by nearly 1,000 points. He placed first in the 100m, long jump, shot put, 400m, 110m hurdles, discus, and pole vault, compiling a total of 7,038 points. Richards also scored 5,125 points and won the indoor heptathlon, with first-place finishes in the long jump and pole vault.
 
Szepieniec set the program mark in the indoor pentathlon with 3,864 points, highlighted by wins in the 60m and long jump. She later captured the top spot at the Horizon League Outdoor Championships with 5,226 points, winning the 100m hurdles, 200m, and 800m events to sweep the multi-event titles in 2024-25. Szepieniec holds a 3.720 GPA through two years at Milwaukee and is studying kinesiology.
 
VanZeeland, a rising senior majoring in kinesiology, maintains a 3.910 GPA. During the indoor season, she finished second in the high jump with a height of 1.75m, later winning the Horizon League Outdoor Championship at the same height. Her indoor mark ranks second in program history, while her outdoor jump set a new school record. VanZeeland also qualified for the NCAA West Regionals this spring.
 
All four Panthers were members of the Horizon League Outdoor All-Academic Team, while Szepieniec and Van Zeeland were also earned honors for the indoor season. Block, Richards, and VanZeeland were recognized as Academic All-District selections by College Sports Communicators for 2024-25.