April 27, 2016

By Lizzie Mikes

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame senior Molly Seidel has been recognized as the 2016 Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Indoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year as announced today by Commissioner John Swofford.

Seidel, an anthropology major from Hartland, Wisconsin, was also recognized earlier this year as the 2015 ACC Women’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year. A frontrunner on the Bowerman Trophy watch list, Seidel pushed her career national title tally to four in March, winning the women’s indoor 3,000m and 5,000m on consecutive evenings. Her 15:15.21 finish in the 5,000 was merely one second off the NCAA meet record, and is the third-fastest NCAA time of the year in the event. It stands as the ACC and school record.

Her 2015-16 indoor season also included two gold medal performances in the ACC Championships held in Boston Feb. 26 and 27, where she set a meet record and then-ACC record of 15:19.64 in the 5,000m, followed by a meet record performance of 9:02.24 in the 3,000m.

Seidel has been a star student on the academic track in addition to her athletic achievements throughout her four years at Notre Dame. Her most recent accomplishment is being named to the Notre Dame Dean’s List for the 2015 fall semester after posting a grade point average of 3.889. Previously, she was selected to the Capital One All-Academic District V First Team and the USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country and Track and Field teams her junior year. She was named to the All-ACC Academic Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field teams in 2015, the All-ACC Academic Cross Country team in 2014, and was recognized as a BIG EAST Academic All-Star in 2012.

Jonathan Addison of North Carolina State was selected as this year’s Men’s Indoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

The Irish continue their outdoor season this weekend in Des Moines, Iowa, competing in the Drake Relays. For up-to-the-minute action, follow the team’s social media accounts on twitter (@NDXCTF) and Facebook (Notre Dame Cross Country/Track & Field).

— ND —

Lizzie Mikes serves as Media Services Coordinator at the University of Notre Dame. A 2013 graduate of Johnson & Wales University, she oversees credential management and is the athletic communications director for Fighting Irish men’s and women’s swimming and diving and track and field. She has assisted with numerous NCAA postseason events hosted by Notre Dame, and is heavily involved in the day-to-day tasks of the athletic communications office.