Friday, May 04, 2012

MACON, Ga. – The Atlantic Sun Conference honored Gilbert Kemboi as the 2012 Men's Outdoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year to highlight the league’s Academic All-Conference team. Kemboi also won the cross country and indoor track & field scholar-athlete honors.

Kemboi won the 5,000 and 10,000-meter runs at the 2012 Atlantic Sun Outdoor Track & Field Championship. He set the A-Sun Championship record in the 10,000m with a time of 30:16.81, while he posted a time of 14:59.49 in the 5,000. Kemboi boasts a 3.45 GPA as a Sociology major. The A-Sun introduced the new sport-by-sport Academic All-Conference teams this fall to recognize student-athletes who embody the conference’s mission of Building Winners for Life. All the members of the team boast a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (GPA) or better and participated in at least half of their team’s games.

MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD SCHOLAR-ATHLETE of the YEAR
Gilbert Kemboi, USC Upstate
Junior | Distance | GPA: 3.45 | Major: Sociology | Hometown: Eldoret, Kenya
• Won the 5,000m and 10,000m runs at the A-Sun Outdoor Track & Field Championship
• Broke the A-Sun outdoor meet record in the 10,000m (30:16.81)
• Set the Spartans' program record in the 5,000m (14:16.66) and the 10,000m (29:51.99) during the season

MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
*Caleb Darnell, Belmont (Sophomore l Hurdles l GPA: 3.61 l International Business)
*Cornell Sneed, ETSU (Senior l Thrower l GPA: 3.75 l Criminal Justice)
*Ryan Burruss, Kennesaw State (Junior | Distance | GPA: 3.51 | Criminal Justice)
*Brian Graham, Kennesaw State (Senior | Combined | GPA: 3.71 | Computer Science)
*Jaakko Nieminen, Kennesaw State (Senior l Distance l GPA: 3.53 l International Business)
*Isaiah Greer, Lipscomb (Junior | Distance | GPA: 3.55 | Math)
*Geoff Musick, Lipscomb (Junior | Distance | GPA: 3.86 | Chemistry)
Tyler Newkirk, Belmont (Sophomore | Distance | GPA: 3.84 | Music Business)
Justin Burton, ETSU (Senior | Thrower | GPA: 3.32 | Sport Management)
Tucker Peabody, Lipscomb (Sophomore | Distance | GPA: 3.31 | Molecular Biology)
Benjamin Wright, Lipscomb (Junior l Distance l GPA: 3.81 l Sustainability Management)
Austin Ray, Lipscomb (Senior | Javelin | GPA: 3.47 | Molecular Biology)
* - Denotes unanimous selection

Follow the Atlantic Sun on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an NCAA Division I league with 10 member institutions committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun meets the challenge of maintaining the highest standards in academic and athletic achievement with a true balance between student and athlete. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.