GREENWOOD, Ind. – The College Sports Information Directors of America [CoSIDA] has unveiled the 2020-21 Academic All-District teams for cross country and track in NCAA Divisions I, II and III as well as NAIA, with two Thunder athletes gaining recognition in District VII: Jack Beakas [Auburn, Ind. / DeKalb] and Valerie Obear [Fishers, Ind. / Hamilton Southeastern].
Beakas graduated with a Master's degree in Civil Engineering in the spring of 2021 after competing in cross country, indoor and outdoor track this past season. Beakas competed in the 10,000-meter event at the NCAA Division III National Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, and brought home a ninth-place finish at 30:56.32.
He secured First Team All-MIAA for the indoor track season and won the distance medley relay event at the MIAA Championships. The Trine men's indoor and outdoor track and field teams secured conference championships in the spring of 2021 with Beakas as one of the standout competitors. During the cross-country season, Beakas won the Midwest Intercollegiate with a 5K time of 15:29.90. Beakas also won the Robert L. Greim Award for Top Male Student-Athlete.
Obear was a junior in the 2020-21 academic year, working towards a degree in Forensic Science. Obear brought a third-place finish home from the NCAA Division III National Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina during the outdoor season with a 51.86-meter hammer throw. It is the highest national finish for any Trine athlete in women's track and field history.
Obear was named First Team All-MIAA in both the indoor and outdoor portions of the track and field season. Obear claimed first place in both the discus [41.47 meters] and hammer throw [53.69 meters] during the outdoor season and weight throw during the indoor season [17.46 meters]. She won MIAA Field Athlete of the Week four total times throughout the track seasons.
Both athletes were named to the NCAA Division III All-Academic team one season ago, nominated by the USTFCCCA [United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association].
Being named All-District puts both athletes on the ballot to become CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, which will be released in mid-August.