FRISCO, Texas -- The University of the Incarnate Word men's and women's track and field teams placed 10 Cardinals on the Southland Conference Cross Country/Track and Field All-Academic Teams, announced the league office Wednesday. Andrew Leuthner, Jordan Cherin, Garett Cortez, Rodney Littlejohn and Deion Hardy were selected on the men's side, while Danielle Martinez, Dominique Allen, Deja Keys, Erekha Sebastion and Sarea Alexander were honored on the women's side.
 
"It takes a great deal of perseverance and fortitude to be a top-level student-athlete at the Division I level," said UIW Head Coach Dr. Derek Riedel. "To compete at a high level and stand out in the classroom like these 10 student-athletes did is commendable. They are examples of the UIW track and field motto -- excel in the classroom like you do on the track.
 
"We have high expectations for academic success in this program and it's talked about often. These expectations led to the women finishing the semester with a 3.53 and the men with a 3.35. I'm always beyond proud when our student-athletes are recognized for their academic performance because I know how important it is to them and to this program that they set themselves apart in the classroom, and they did just that once again."
 
Andrew Leuthner - 100m, 200m, 4x100 and LJ
Luethner graduated with a master's in accounting and a 4.00 GPA in May. The Copperas Cove, Texas, native capped off his UIW career with a PR at the conference championships in the 100m (10.56) on his way to scoring in the event for the first time in his career. Luethner matched his career high in the long jump at 7.10m this season as well.
 
Jordan Cherin - 800m, 400m and 4x400
Cherin, a junior from Boulder, Colorado, has a 3.96 GPA as a computer information systems major. He earned points for UIW in the 800m and 4x400 at the conference championships all while boasting a near-perfect academic portfolio. A consistent hard-worker, Cherin is a strong contributor on the track for the Cardinals and an even better example of the ideal student-athlete in the classroom.
 
Garett Cortez - 1500m, 3000S, 5000m, 800m
Cortez graduated with a bachelor's degree in sports management and a 3.86 GPA in May. The Schertz, Texas, native won his second conference title in the 1500m outdoors to earn his first NCAA Regional invite. He set indoor program records in the 3K, 5K and the DMR before setting the outdoor program record in the 1500m. Cortez was selected first team All-Southland outdoors and cross country and received second team All-SLC indoors honors.
 
Rodney Littlejohn - Decathlon
Littlejohn graduated with a bachelor's in kinesiology with a 3.45 GPA in May. The San Antonio native became the first Decathlete in program history to win a conference title while recording an impressive 3.89 GPA in the same term. Littlejohn finished just one spot out of a national qualifying score while setting a program record in Decathlon and the open high jump.
 
Deion Hardy - 800m, 1500m, 5k
Hardy graduated in May with a 3.10 GPA and a business degree. The Temple, Texas, native finished in second place in both the 800m and 1500m races at conference, becoming one of just three Cardinals to earn all-conference in multiple events, excluding relays. Hardy was a member of the UIW record-breaking indoor DMR team that became the first Cardinal DMR squad to run under 10 minutes (9:59.01).
 
Danielle Martinez - 1500, 5k, 3000S
Martinez graduated in May with a marketing degree and a 3.87 GPA. The New Braunfels, Texas, native scored points in the 3000S for the second consecutive season at conference.
 
Dominique Allen - 800m, 4x400, 1500m
Allen, a rehabilitative sciences major from Converse, Texas, is a junior who holds a 3.67 GPA. She recently won the 800m and has now won that race in all three of her attempts at conference, becoming one of two UIW athletes in history to win an event three times over her career. With a PR of 2:06.80 in the 800m at the Bryan Clay Invitational, Allen qualified for NCAA Regionals. She is a UIW record holder in the 800m indoors, the owner of nine of the 10 fastest runs in program history in the event, and she holds the record in the 800m outdoors as well. Allen also holds the fourth-fastest 800m time in Southland history.
 
Deja Keys - 100m, 200m, 4x100, 4x400
Keys is a junior from Houston, Texas, who holds a 3.40 GPA as a criminal justice major. She was conference champion in 100m dash and had podium finishes in the 200m, the 4x100 relay and the 4x400 relay. Keys qualified for the NCAA Regionals in the 200m for the first time in her career. Currently, she stands as the program-record holder in the 100m and 200m dashes.
 
Erekha Sebastion - 200, 400, 4x400
Sebastion is a sophomore interdisciplinary studies major with a 3.4 GPA. The San Antonio native was a regional qualifier for the second consecutive season, becoming one of just three competitors in program-history to do so. Sebastion jumped from the 48th qualifier to 25th in the West region. She ran a PR of 54.73 in the 400 at conference en route to a fifth-place finish. Sebastion also ran the opening leg of the 4x400 relay to help UIW take third at conference.
 
Sarea Alexander - Long Jump and Triple Jump
Alexander, a San Antonio native, graduated with a 3.08 GPA and an English degree in May. The greatest track and field athlete in UIW program history, Alexander became the first Division I All-American for UIW's indoors program, doing so in the long jump. She earned her first outdoors All-American title when she competed at NCAA Nationals in Austin, also in long jump. She is the all-time Southland Conference record holder in triple jump and holds three of the six best long jumps in conference history. Alexander won the conference title in long and triple jumps in both indoors and outdoors.
 
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