Alabama Places Eight on CSC Academic All-District Team
5/31/2023 11:28:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
Brady Barton, Arthur Graham, Grady Shiflet and Jacob Wiggers made up the men’s honorees as Mercy Chelangat, Chelsea Igberaese, Amara Obi and Jami Reed represent the women’s program
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Eight total student-athletes spanning across the Alabama track and field and cross country programs were named to the College Sports Communicators' Track and Field/Cross Country Academic All-District Team, the organization announced Wednesday.
On the men's side, Brady Barton, Arthur Graham, Grady Shiflet and Jacob Wiggers earned the honor while Mercy Chelangat, Chelsea Igberaese, Amara Obi and Jami Reed made up the women's All-District honorees for the Crimson Tide.
Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First, second and third-team for women's track and field/cross country Academic All-America honorees will be announced June 28, with the men's Academic All-Americans getting announced June 29.
To be nominated for the CSC Academic All-District team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA and must at least be a sophomore academically and athletically.
The Crimson Tide Honorees at a Glance
- All eight nominees hold above a 3.66 GPA, with five of Alabama's nominees sitting above a 3.90 GPA, as Amara Obi and Jami Reed lead the group with perfect 4.00 GPAs. Obi is pursuing a degree in public health while Reed recently graduated with a bachelor's in marketing
- Obi (4x100-meter relay), Mercy Chelangat (10,000m) and Chelsea Igberaese (shot put) recently qualified for the 2023 NCAA Track and Field Outdoor National Championships, held June 7-10 in Austin, Texas
- Chelangat, Reed, Brady Barton and Jacob Wiggers were all members of Alabama's cross country programs that swept the 2022 men's and women's Southeastern Conference cross country titles
- Grady Shiflet was named one of Alabama's two nominees for the SEC's H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship
The Crimson Tide Women
- Mercy Chelangat holds a 3.90 GPA while pursuing her postgraduate degree in communication studies
- Chelangat earned First-Team All-SEC honors during her final cross country season and was also named to the NCAA Cross Country All-South Region team
- Chelangat was an SEC Indoor champion and first team All-American in the 5,000 meters before finishing second at SEC Outdoors. Chelangat will race in the 10,000 meters at next week's Outdoor National Championships.
- Chelsea Igberaese holds a 3.66 GPA en route to her master's in marketing
- Igberaese finished her 2023 indoor season as a second-team All-American in the weight throw before winning bronze at SEC Outdoors in the discus
- She will compete in next week's National Championships as a qualifier in the shot put
- Amara Obi holds a perfect 4.00 GPA while pursuing her degree in public health
- Obi's indoor season was highlighted by a gold-medal-winning performance at the SEC Indoor Championships as a member of Alabama's distance medley relay
- She will compete at next week's Outdoor National Championships as a member of the qualifying 4x100-meter relay squad
- Jami Reed recently graduated with a perfect 4.00 GPA in marketing
- Similar to Chelangat, Reed represented the Tide during the 2022-23 season as a member of Alabama's SEC Championship-winning cross country squad that also finished third at NCAAs – a program best for the UA women
- On the track, she joined Obi as a member of UA's distance medley relay team that won gold at the SEC Indoor Championships
The Crimson Tide Men
- Brady Barton holds a 3.73 GPA en route to his degree in finance
- So far this 2022-23 season, Barton represented the Crimson Tide as a member of Alabama's SEC Championship-winning and NCAA Championship cross country squad
- His indoor track and field season was highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the 800 meters before finishing in the top 15 of the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the SEC Outdoor Championships
- Arthur Graham holds a 3.96 GPA while pursuing his degree in interdisciplinary studies and political science
- Graham opened his 2022-23 campaign with a pair of races during the cross country season before recording two top-25 finishes (mile | 17th, 3,000m | 23rd) at the SEC Indoor Championships
- His outdoor season was highlighted by a pair of back-to-back, seventh-place finishes in both the 800 meters and 1,500 meters
- Grady Shiflet holds a 3.96 GPA while pursuing his psychology degree
- In his 2023 track and field season, Shiflet racked up a total of eight top-10 finishes, spanning across both indoor and outdoor
- Shiflet represented Alabama in both versions of the 2023 SEC Track and Field Championships, highlighted by a sixth-place finish as a member of the Tide's distance medley relay
- Jacob Wiggers holds a 3.66 GPA while pursuing a double major in accounting and finance
- Similar to Barton, Wiggers represented UA during the 2022-23 season as a member of Alabama's SEC Championship-winning and NCAA Championship cross country squad
- His track and field indoor and outdoor seasons were highlighted by a pair of third-place finishes, first in the 3,000 meters then later in the 10,000 meters, respectively
For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaTrack on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
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Players Mentioned
