May 22, 2015

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — University of Notre Dame track & field and cross country junior Molly Seidel has been selected to the Capital One Academic All-District V Track & Field/Cross Country First Team, the College Sports Information Directors of America announced Friday.

To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

Seidel has turned in standout seasons in both cross country and track & field as a junior, earning All-American status by finishing 19th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and sixth in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships. She has amassed numerous All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors in both cross country and track, including three individual conference track championships in the indoor 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters and the outdoor 5,000 meters. She was named the ACC’s Most Valuable Track Performer at the indoor championships in March.

Seidel boasts a 3.45 grade point average and is pursuing a degree in Anthropology. She made the All-ACC Academic Indoor team this season, while she earned All-Academic recognition by the USTFCCCA as a sophomore. As a freshman, she was honored as a BIG EAST Academic All-Star.

Seidel will advance to the Capital One Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.

About The Capital One Academic All-America Program

Capital One has been the entitlement rights holder to CoSIDA’s Academic All-America teams programs since 2011.

The Academic All-District ® teams are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. This is the third year of the expanded Academic All-America® program as CoSIDA moved from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non Division I) and has doubled the number of scholar-athletes honored. The expanded teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools.

The Capital One Division II and III Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2014-15 DII and DIII Academic All-America® teams program.

Joanne Norell, Media Relations Assistant

–ND–