Mercy Chelangat Named 2022 USTFCCCA Outdoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year

In addition to Chelangat’s honor, both the men and women earned the team honor while a total of 22 student-athletes earned individual All-Academic recognition.

NEW ORLEANS – Alabama distance ace Mercy Chelangat has been named the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Scholar Athlete of the Year for the third time in her career, after adding the 2022 outdoor track accolade to back-to-back cross country honors the last two seasons.

Chelangat was named the NCAA Division I Women’s Outdoor National Track Scholar Athlete of the Year after winning the 10,000 meters at the 2022 NCAA Championships in 32:37.08, more than 10 seconds faster than the runner-up, and maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.84. She also finished fourth in the 5000-meter final. This is the first time that an athlete from Alabama has been named the National Outdoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Led by Chelangat, a total of 22 Alabama track and field student-athletes earned All-Academic honors, while both the men and women earned All-Academic Team recognition, the coaches association announced this week. The Crimson Tide’s All-Academic honoree 2022 total ranks in the top-20 nationally.

The Crimson Tide women earned the team honor after posting a 3.58 cumulative team grade point average, the highest among Southeastern Conference teams in 2022. The UA men posted a 3.17 team GPA, which ranks in the top five in the SEC this season. In addition to its success in the classroom, the Alabama men’s team finished eighth and the women’s team ninth in the 2022 NCAA Division I Program of the Year standings.

The Alabama women earned 12 honors, with Chelangat joined by Nickolette Dunbar, Milan Fields, Chelsea Igberaese, Samantha Kunza, Talaya Lewis, Jami Reed, Sophie Spada, Chanice Spicer, Amaris Tyynismaa, Karmen Williams and Samantha Zelden.

The UA put 10 on the men’s All-Academic team, including Chago Basso, Hillary Cheruiyot, Bobby Colantonio Jr., Julian Collins, Clayton Elder, Jerimiah Evans, Leander Forbes, Jacob Lamb, Kieran McKeag and Mason Phillips.

The team accolade requires a 3.0 cumulative grade point average on 4.0 scale, while the individual honor requires a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or better in the classroom in addition to reaching certain national rankings during the indoor season or participated in the NCAA Preliminary Championships and/or the NCAA Championships.