MERCED, Calif. – Five student-athletes from the University of California, Merced women's cross country and outdoor track teams earned CSC Academic All-District honors, the College Sports Communicators announced on Tuesday.
Elizette Ysais, Alexandra Lopez, Brieanna Anderson, Emily Gonzales, and Fanny O'Vincent received the recognition.
The 2024 Academic All-District® Women's Track & Field teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the track, in the field, and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes women's track & field honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Ysais, Lopez, and Gonzales are 2X honorees.
Ysais, a public health major, was a 3X All-California Pacific Conference performer this past year. She recently set the 10000m program-record and took gold in the event at the California Pacific Conference Outdoor Track Championships with a time of 38:24.21. Ysais won silver in the 5000m run in 19:00.6 and also scored for the Bobcats with a fourth-place finish in the 1500m. During cross country season, Ysais crossed the finish line fourth overall at the conference title meet to earn All-Cal Pac First team honors and qualify for the NAIA National Championships. She ran the Cal Pac race in 22:49. Also of note, the Hughson, Calif., native started her senior year strong with a third-place finish at the Fresno Invitational.
Lopez earned a pair of silver medals and broke three program-records during her senior outdoor track campaign. She took second in the conference meet in the 1500m and 3000m steeplechase, while setting those program-records earlier in the season. She ran program-record times of 4:54.28 (1500m) at the Kim Duyst Invitational, 11:45.44 (3000m steeplechase) at West Coast Relays, and 10:55.43 (3000m run) at Sunbird Invitational. Lopez also scored for the Bobcats at the Cal Pac meet with fourth-place finishes in the 800m and 5000m, and was a part of the Cal Pac Champion 4X800 relay team. Lopez recently earned her degree in Political Science and was named the Cal Pac Female Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Anderson, a political science graduate, capped off her career with a 3.89 cumulative GPA and an individual Cal Pac Championship in the 800m crossing the finish line in 2:26.89. In addition to her individual gold, she was on the gold medal 4x800 relay team and took bronze in the 1500m. Her senior year also included personal-best's in the 800m (2:26.13) and 1500m (4:57.23). She also finished 15th overall at the Cal Pac Cross Country Championships to earn All-Cal Pac Second Team honors. Anderson was named UC Merced's Female Intercollegiate Scholar Athlete of the Year. She earned a 4.0 GPA across her senior year.
Gonzales graduated with a degree in biological sciences and finished 17th overall in her final Cal Pac Cross Country Championship race. She opened up her senior year on the cross country course scoring for the Bobcats at the Fresno Invitational.
O'Vincent earned a silver medal and set the program-record in the 400m dash at the Cal Pac Championships with a time of 1:01.48. She was a part of the winning 4x400 relay team and added a sixth place finish in the long jump. O'Vincent recently earned her degree in psychology while maintaining a 3.87 GPA.
To be considered for this honor, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore and maintain a 3.50 cumulative GPA.
Ysais, Lopez, and Anderson were selected as finalists on the CSC Academic All-America ballot. Academic All-America honorees will be announced on July 9.
