University Southern California Trojans
Four Trojans Named To District All-Academic Team
May 30, 2013 | Track & Field
May 30, 2013
USC track and field athletes Farren Benjamin and Thea Weiss were named 2013 Capital One District 8 All-Academic first team and Alexandra Collatz and Jackie Dion were named second team today (May 30), as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of American (CoSIDA).
Benjamin, a hammer thrower, earned her graduate degree in Communications (Sports Media) this year and maintained a 3.58 grade-point average. She also established a personal best of 148-9 in the hammer throw and competed at the Pac-12 Championships for the first time, taking 15th place. She has been active off the field, serving as the Trojan Athletic Senate President, captain of the USC women's throws team and as a representative for S.C.O.R.E (Serving Community Through Outreach, Recreation and Education).
The junior Weiss is a double major in Neuroscience and English and maintains a 3.94 GPA. Weiss is a pole vaulter and moved to sixth place on USC's all-time list with a clearance of 12-4.50 at the Occidental Invitational this season. She tied for 17th with a pole vault of 12-0.50 at the 2013 Pac-12 Championships. Weiss also is involved with an Emotion & Cognition Lab.
The discus All-American Collatz has a 3.46 GPA in Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies. She placed fourth in the discus throw with a personal-best mark of 179-7 at the Pac-12 Championships on May 12 to better her second-place standing on USC's all-time list in the event. She has qualified in the discus throw for the NCAA Championships and will be in Eugene, Ore. competing next week.
Dion, a junior, is majoring in Gerontology with a minor in Italian and Chinese and has a 3.93 GPA. She runs the 800m race for USC and posted a season-best time of 2:22.11 at the USC-UCLA Dual Meet to place seventh on April 27. Dion is also a Trustee Scholar and has volunteered for Meals on Wheels.
