USTFCCCA Selects Six Flashes for All-Academic Honors
NEW ORLEANS -- Six members of the Kent State track & field program earned the distinction of becoming United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honorees.
Sophomore Diana Dumitrescu (Campulung, Romania/LNPA Campulung Muscel) and senior Jessica Lhotsky (Medina, Ohio/Medina Highland) garnered selection to the women's squad, while fifth-year senior Andrew Carnes (Canton, Ohio/Jackson), sophomore Brian Florek (Matawan, N.J./Old Bridge), junior Destin Heasley (Massillon, Ohio/Massillon Washington) and junior Matthew Pfleger (Garrettsville, Ohio/James A. Garfield) earned spots on the men's team.
Dumitrescu, a journalism major with a 3.35 grade point average, added another chapter to her Kent State legacy by earning USTFCCCA Outdoor All-America honors by taking sixth in the heptathlon at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Dumitrescu's 5,474 points allowed her to become the 15th Kent State women's track & field athlete (21st time overall) to garner such recognition. The Romanian is the first Golden Flash to earn All-America in the heptathlon. Dumitrescu earned the Mid-American Conference's Most Valuable Women's Performer honors at the MAC Outdoor Championships, taking the title in the heptathlon (5,289 points). She also enjoyed an outstanding indoor campaign, finishing eighth in the pentathlon at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships to claim All-America honors. Her 4,055 points broke her own school record, and she also broke the Kent State record in the long jump with a mark of 19'-9.75" (6.04 meters) en route to becoming the first KSU athlete to earn All-America in the pentathlon. Dumitrescu claimed her second-straight conference indoor pentathlon title (3,949 points) to earn Most Valuable Women's Performer distinction at the championship meet. She was named to the Academic All-MAC team following both the indoor and outdoor campaigns.
Lhotsky, an exercise and health physiology major with a 3.64 GPA, qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the 800-meter run, where she took 18th in the finals with a time of 2:08.07 to close out her KSU career. A four-time Academic All-MAC selection (2009 Indoor and Outdoor, 2010 Indoor and Outdoor), Lhotsky claimed second in the 800 at the MAC Outdoor Championships with a 2:10.72 finish.
Dumitrescu and Lhotsky helped lead the Flashes to their first MAC outdoor title since 2005 and first indoor crown since '03.
Carnes, an exercise health graduate student with a 4.00 GPA, receives his fifth academic honor of the year after being named Indoor and Outdoor Academic All-MAC, MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week (April 12-18) and College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) First Team Academic All-District IV. Carnes became one of two MAC runners to break the 30-minute mark in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 29:51.28 at the All-Ohio Championships. A time of 30:10.90 in the 10,000 nailed down second place for Carnes at the MAC Outdoor Championships. He qualified for the running of the 10K at the NCAA East Regional, claiming 19th place by clocking a 30:55.96.
Florek qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the javelin throw for a second straight season. Florek earned MAC silver at the conference's outdoor championships with a toss of 220'-4" (67.16 meters). He also earned his first career spot on the Academic All-MAC squad.
Heasley, a biology-chemistry major with a 3.60 GPA, qualified for the finals of the 800-meter run at the NCAA East Regional after clocking a 1:49.82 to place third in his heat. Heasley finished the season by taking 19th in the finals with a time of 1:49.64. He is the conference's reigning 800 champion after timing in at 1:49.05 at the MAC Outdoor Championships. Heasley achieved Academic All-MAC for the third time in his career (2009 Indoor, 2010 Indoor and Outdoor).
Pfleger, a language arts major with a 3.44 GPA, qualified for the NCAA East Regional following an outdoor campaign in which he took second in the hammer throw at the conference championships with a toss of 204'-7" (62.36 meters). He was named the MAC's Field Athlete of the Week (April 30-May 1) by taking seventh in the hammer at the Jesse Owens Track Classic with a 205'-2" (62.54 meters). The mark was the third best by a collegiate competitor in the event. Pfleger topped off his season by garnering his third career appearance (2009 Indoor and Outdoor, 2010 Outdoor) on the Academic All-MAC team
To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track & Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and have met either the NCAA Division I Indoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard or participated in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships (including preliminary rounds) in their respective event.