A trio of Northwest Missouri State women’s track and field athletes have earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honors representing collegiate track & field’s best in both athletics and academics announced on Wednesday.

Kate Walter, Brittany Poole and Samantha Fender were all named All-Academic by USTFCCCA for their hard work during the spring season. Earlier this summer, Walter and Poole both earned All-America and All-Region honors as well as claiming All-MIAA accolades in the hammer throw and the 3000-meter steeplechase.

Fender, a Chillicothe, Mo., native recorded seven personal bests during the outdoor season and added three more during the indoor season. She also added top marks for the Bearcats in the 100-meters and 200-meters as her time of 25.24 placed her fifth all-time at Northwest in the 200-meters. The sophomore also recorded a provisional mark in the long jump, a height that also cracked the all-time top 10 list. She finished with a 3.57 GPA and is majoring in Broadcasting.

An Independence, Mo., native, Walter finished third at the National Championships in May and claimed the MIAA title in the hammer throw. She claimed top throws in the javelin throw and discus as well while her mark in the hammer at the National Championships broke the Northwest record, a mark that she had broken earlier in the spring. Walter earned a 4.0 GPA pursing her master’s degree in Applied Health and Sport Sciences.

Poole also set a Northwest record in the 3000-meter steeplechase when she raced to a first-place finish at the 2012 Drake Relays, a record that she a previously held as well. Along with Poole’s All-America finish at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor National Championships she captured the MIAA Championship in early May. She is currently pursuing her degree in Elementary Education and finished with a 4.0 GPA.

— NWMSU Sports Information —