Wayne State University’s men’s cross country team has achieved a notable milestone with 14 members earning Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) All-Academic honors. This achievement ties the program’s record for the most honorees in a single year and continues a streak of six years with at least ten recipients. Over this period, 73 student-athletes from the team have received GLIAC All-Academic recognition.
The criteria for these honors require student-athletes to be active on the roster at the season’s end and exclude freshmen or first-year transfer students. Grade-point averages are calculated through the cross country season.
Ten student-athletes were named to the All-Academic Excellence Team for maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5. They include graduate student Donald O’Keefe, senior Carson Nicoletti, redshirt junior Eli DiCerbo, redshirt sophomores Adam Hafeli and Ty Nagy, sophomores Brady Heron, Seth Pianga, and Jared Platt, as well as redshirt freshmen Griffin Conway and Ethan Pruzinsky.
“O’Keefe (MBA – 3.83) was recognized for a fifth consecutive season,” while “DiCerbo (Mathematics – 3.98) and Nicoletti (Global Supply Chain Management – 3.73) were honored for the third straight year.” Hafeli and Nagy received their second consecutive honors, while Heron, Pianga, Platt, Conway, and Pruzinsky each earned their first recognitions.
Four other athletes were awarded All-Academic Team honors for GPAs between 3.0 and 3.49: redshirt senior Tyler Buchanan, junior Anthony Vinson, redshirt sophomore Kenny Minto, and redshirt freshman Gabe Trevino.
“Buchanan (Exercise & Sport Science – 3.46) was honored for the fourth straight season,” whereas Vinson and Minto received their second consecutive recognition. Trevino became eligible this year.
Nicoletti also achieved athletic success by finishing 21st at the NCAA Midwest Regionals to earn All-Region recognition after placing 33rd at the GLIAC Championships. Buchanan secured Second Team All-GLIAC accolades with his performance in conference meets alongside Heron, Platt, Nagy, Trevino, and Vinson who also competed.
