2016-17 CoSIDA Academic All-District Men's Cross Country/Track & Field Teams
2016-17 CoSIDA Academic All-District Women's Cross Country/Track & Field Teams

NEW ORLEANS -- In a Thursday announcement, Academy of Art University men's cross country/track & field runners Pierre Fontanarosa and Gatien Airiau as well as hurdlers Quinlan Wright and Marion Presigny were named to the 2016-17 College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District Team after excelling athletically in addition to delivering impressive grade point averages in their respective majors of study.

"These four epitomize what it means to be a student-athlete," said head coach Kevin LaSure. "Three out of four of them have qualified for the NCAA Championships this outdoor track & field season in addition to their success and accomplishments in the classroom which is what it is truly about."

Student-athletes were selected by CoSIDA and recognized as the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. To qualify for the CoSIDA All-District Cross Country/Track & Field Teams in Division II, a student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or greater through the most-recent semester, must be a starter or key reserve, and completed one full calendar year at his or her institution (graduate students are an exception to this requirement). A total of 85 male student-athletes representing 57 Division II institutions and 92 female student-athletes from 60 DII institutions met these requirements.

A key contributor to the Urban Knights' cross country run that culminated in 11th place at NCAA Division II Nationals, Fontanarosa posted a cumulative GPA of 3.39 in Communications & Media Technologies along the way. He is a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual, two-time All-PacWest First Team plus 2015 Newcomer of the Year in cross country, and two-time USTFCCCA XC All-Region. He completed this year's track & field season ranked 30th in outdoor 5000m (14:27.94) and finished second at PacWest Championship in the event.

Keeping the honor in the ART U family, Airiau picked up 2016 PacWest Cross Country Newcomer of the Year after finishing third at the PacWest Championships and helping the Urban Knights make postseason history in 11th overall at Nationals. Owner of a 3.46 GPA in Communications & Media Technologies, the USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual and two-time All-West Region honoree would go on to take the 2017 title in the PacWest 3000m Steeplechase Champion and became the program record-holder (8:51.08). He currently ranks third in the country in the 3000m steeple as auto qualifier and will contest the event at Nationals this week.

Up to a 3.40 GPA in Communications & Media Technologies in his final semester prior to graduating Academy of Art, Wright finished the PacWest Championships with titles in both the 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles as well as a share of the Knights' 4x400m championship. He would also become the new program record-holder in each hurdle event with his efforts at the conference meet. Heading into Nationals where he will compete in the 400mH and 4x400m relay, the two-time Academic All-PacWest recipient ranks ninth in Division II in the 400mH (51.82), 23rd in the 110mH (14.40), and seventh in the 4x400m (3:10.87).


In her first season with ART U, Presigny made quite an impact. Paired with a 3.76 GPA in Fashion Journalism, she became the program's first All-American in the indoor Pentathlon after achieving a program record 3750 at Indoor Nationals. The Albertville, France native would proceed to be named PacWest Champion in the 100m hurdles and enters Outdoor Nationals ranked 17th in the country in both the 400mH and 100mH, looking to add more All-American honors to her resume this week.

There are eight districts in all and three separate teams for NCAA Division I, II and III as well as a College Division, which includes NAIA, Canadian and junior colleges. District 8 includes the PacWest, California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC). Academic All-District honorees advance to the Academic All-America Team ballot. The CoSIDA Division II Academic All-American Team will be announced next month.