Nine Wildcats Earn CSC Academic All-District Honors
Jun 01, 2023 | Track & Field
Nominee must have at least a 3.5 GPA and participate in 50 percent of the season
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Nine K-State track and field athletes earned Academic All-District VII honors on Thursday (June 1) by the College Sports Communicators (CSC), formerly CoSIDA.
Among the honorees are five women – Urte Bacianskaite, Sydney Burton, Emma Robbins, Cailan Steward and Shalysa Wray – and four men – Kerby Depenbusch, Stephen Kielhofner, Joe Placek and Emil Uhlin.
Bacianskiate is a senior from Panevezys, Lithuania, majoring in athletic training and rehab sciences with a 3.55 GPA. This season she has competed in the pentathlon and heptathlon, recently advancing to the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, to compete in the women's heptathlon.
Burton is a senior from Abilene, Kan., majoring in nutrition and health/dietetics, with a 4.00 GPA. Most recently she was a recipient of the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, and on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll for the 2021-22 season. She competed during the cross country season, finishing 78th in the NCAA Midwest Regional. During the track season she primarily ran in the mile, 800 meters and 1,500 meters.
Depenbusch, from Great Bend, Kan., is studying for a master's degree in sociology with a 4.00 GPA. He also earned the Dr. Gerald Academic Achievement Award in 2022 and was on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2021-22. He competed in four meets during the cross country season while running the 5,000 and 10,000 meters during the outdoor track season.
Kielhofner, originally from Springfield, Mo., graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering with a 3.84 GPA. This year he earned the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award and was named a USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete for cross country. During the cross country season, he earned All-Region honors in the NCAA Midwest Regional by finishing 22nd. During the indoor track season, he medaled in the 3,000 meters at the Big 12 Championships and medaled in the 1,500 meters at the outdoor Big 12 Championships.
Placek is a junior from Olathe, Kan. with a 3.50 GPA, majoring in accounting. Competing during the outdoor season in the javelin throw, he medaled at the Big 12 Championships with a fourth-place finish and qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary in Sacramento, Calif.
Robbins is a senior from Anaheim, Calif., majoring in business with a 3.76 GPA. She is on her way to Austin, Texas to compete in the NCAA Championships in the hammer throw, after finishing second, out of 48, at the NCAA West Preliminary. She also finished second in the outdoor Big 12 Championships and competed in the weight throw during the indoor season, medaling in the Big 12 Championships in third place.
Steward is studying for a master's degree in architecture with a 4.00 GPA. She earned the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award in 2022 and was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2021-22. She competed in every race of the cross country season, running primarily in the 3,000 meters during the indoor track season and the 5,000 meters in the outdoor season, even running her first 10,000 meters at the Big 12 Championships.
Uhlin is a sophomore from Falun, Sweden, majoring in biology with a 4.00 GPA. He competed in the heptathlon and decathlon this year, medaling in the decathlon at the outdoor Big 12 Championships in fifth place. During the indoor season he landed at No. 6 in the K-State men's record books in the heptathlon and finished fourth in the Big 12 Championships.
Wray is a recent graduate student from Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, graduating in December with a 3.52 GPA in marketing. Last week she competed in the 200 meter dash at the NCAA West Preliminary. She started off the indoor season breaking two records at the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular and medaled at the Big 12 Championships in the 400 meter dash. During the outdoor season she primarily ran in the 200 and 400 meter dash, once again medaling in the 400 meters at the Big Championships.
Requirements for nomination included one year of previous competition, a 3.5 GPA or higher and 50 percent participation in meets during the season.
Among the honorees are five women – Urte Bacianskaite, Sydney Burton, Emma Robbins, Cailan Steward and Shalysa Wray – and four men – Kerby Depenbusch, Stephen Kielhofner, Joe Placek and Emil Uhlin.
Bacianskiate is a senior from Panevezys, Lithuania, majoring in athletic training and rehab sciences with a 3.55 GPA. This season she has competed in the pentathlon and heptathlon, recently advancing to the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, to compete in the women's heptathlon.
Burton is a senior from Abilene, Kan., majoring in nutrition and health/dietetics, with a 4.00 GPA. Most recently she was a recipient of the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, and on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll for the 2021-22 season. She competed during the cross country season, finishing 78th in the NCAA Midwest Regional. During the track season she primarily ran in the mile, 800 meters and 1,500 meters.
Depenbusch, from Great Bend, Kan., is studying for a master's degree in sociology with a 4.00 GPA. He also earned the Dr. Gerald Academic Achievement Award in 2022 and was on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2021-22. He competed in four meets during the cross country season while running the 5,000 and 10,000 meters during the outdoor track season.
Kielhofner, originally from Springfield, Mo., graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering with a 3.84 GPA. This year he earned the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award and was named a USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete for cross country. During the cross country season, he earned All-Region honors in the NCAA Midwest Regional by finishing 22nd. During the indoor track season, he medaled in the 3,000 meters at the Big 12 Championships and medaled in the 1,500 meters at the outdoor Big 12 Championships.
Placek is a junior from Olathe, Kan. with a 3.50 GPA, majoring in accounting. Competing during the outdoor season in the javelin throw, he medaled at the Big 12 Championships with a fourth-place finish and qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary in Sacramento, Calif.
Robbins is a senior from Anaheim, Calif., majoring in business with a 3.76 GPA. She is on her way to Austin, Texas to compete in the NCAA Championships in the hammer throw, after finishing second, out of 48, at the NCAA West Preliminary. She also finished second in the outdoor Big 12 Championships and competed in the weight throw during the indoor season, medaling in the Big 12 Championships in third place.
Steward is studying for a master's degree in architecture with a 4.00 GPA. She earned the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award in 2022 and was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2021-22. She competed in every race of the cross country season, running primarily in the 3,000 meters during the indoor track season and the 5,000 meters in the outdoor season, even running her first 10,000 meters at the Big 12 Championships.
Uhlin is a sophomore from Falun, Sweden, majoring in biology with a 4.00 GPA. He competed in the heptathlon and decathlon this year, medaling in the decathlon at the outdoor Big 12 Championships in fifth place. During the indoor season he landed at No. 6 in the K-State men's record books in the heptathlon and finished fourth in the Big 12 Championships.
Wray is a recent graduate student from Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, graduating in December with a 3.52 GPA in marketing. Last week she competed in the 200 meter dash at the NCAA West Preliminary. She started off the indoor season breaking two records at the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular and medaled at the Big 12 Championships in the 400 meter dash. During the outdoor season she primarily ran in the 200 and 400 meter dash, once again medaling in the 400 meters at the Big Championships.
Requirements for nomination included one year of previous competition, a 3.5 GPA or higher and 50 percent participation in meets during the season.
Players Mentioned
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