The College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced its 2026 Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-America Team, and it features six NESCAC student-athletes.
Audrey MacLean of Middlebury and Grace McDonough of Conn. College were First Team honorees. Kate Swann of Williams, Lily Wurtz of Middlebury, and Tally Zeller of Colby garnered a spot on the Second Team, and Ellie Fitzgerald of Williams was named to the Third Team.
The Academic All-America honor recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined athletic and academic achievements. To be nominated, student-athletes must carry at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at their institution and be a large contributor on the team during the season.
MacLean, a molecular biology and biochemistry major with a 3.92 GPA, secured her second Academic All-America honor after earning a third-team nod last year. During the cross country season, MacLean became the second Middlebury athlete to win the NCAA Individual National title. Her time of 20:16.8 is the sixth-fastest time in NCAA Championship history. The rising senior was named United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National and Regional Women's Athlete of the Year and a First-Team All-American selection. At the NESCAC Championship, MacLean claimed the conference title for the second straight season and was named the most outstanding performer while earning All-NESCAC First Team honors for the third consecutive year.
McDonough, a senior who recently graduated with a degree in human development and psychology and a 4.00 GPA, earns CSC Academic All-America recognition for the second time in her career, after being named to the second team last year. She became the fourth member of the women's track and field/cross country program to be honored last season and is the first Conn female athlete to earn first-team honors. The award caps an outstanding career for McDonough, who secured All-America honors in cross country and one each in both the indoor and outdoor track seasons. She most recently finished eighth in the 1500m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, ninth in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships, and finished 13th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Additionally, she placed second in the 1,500m at the NESCAC Championships and won both the 1,500m and the 5,000m at the New England Division III Championships, helping Conn. College win the meet for the second time in program history. She was also an All-NESCAC and USTFCCCA All-Region selection during the cross country season.
Swann, who received the W. Marriot Canby Class of 1981 Scholarship Prize for the highest cumulative GPA among Williams student-athletes, graduated from Williams with a 3.99 GPA as a contract quantitative environmental studies major. During the cross country season, Swann helped lead the Ephs to a National Runners-Up finish at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships. Individually, she earned USTFCCCA All-America and All-Region honors after placing seventh at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional and 27th at the NCAA Division III Championships. She also finished with NESCAC All-Conference recognition with a seventh-place finish at the conference championship.
During the track and field seasons, Swann helped the Ephs finish as NCAA Division III Indoor National Runners-Up while placing second in the 5000 meters with a time of 16:50.37 to earn All-America honors. She followed with a sixth-place finish in the 10000 meters at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships and placed fourth in the 5000 meters at the NESCAC Outdoor Championships. Swann concluded the 2025-26 season as a four-time All-American, four-time USTFCCCA All-Region selection, and four-time NESCAC All-Conference runner.
Wurtz carried a 3.95 GPA and completed her degree in computer science while securing her first Academic All-America laurel. She earned a USTFCCCA Outdoor Second Team All-American nod in the discus at the 2026 NCAA Championships. During the NESCAC Championships, Wurtz claimed the discus title, throwing the implement 45.55 meters. She became the second Panther in program history to win the event and reset the record by 1.83 meters. The Panther tallied the conference's shot put crown with her toss of 12.74 meters. She is the first Middlebury field athlete to win two events at a conference invite in a singular season. Wurtz secured the discus title at the Division III New England Outdoor Championships (43.03m) and was a five-time USTFCCCA All-Region selection across three events this season.
Zeller posted a 4.00 GPA as an economics and government major at Colby and earned Academic All-America honors for the second time. This season, Zeller was a two-time All-American on two different relays. In her other three years competing at Colby, Zeller has earned All-American status five other times, including being crowned a national champion as part of the 2025 indoor 4x400m relay. She is also a five-time All-Region honoree.
Fitzgerald, a pole vaulter, was a chemistry major at Williams and graduated with a 3.96 GPA. During the indoor season, Fitzgerald cleared a program-record 4.05m to finish second at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships, helping the Ephs secure a National Runners-Up finish while earning All-America honors. She followed with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships after clearing 3.95m, another school record. In addition to earning USTFCCCA All-America and All-Region honors during both the indoor and outdoor seasons, Fitzgerald earned NESCAC All-Conference honors. Fitzgerald closed out her Williams career as a three-time All-American, four-time USTFCCCA All-Region selection, three-time NESCAC All-Conference athlete, and the program record holder in both the indoor (4.05m) and outdoor (3.95m) pole vault.
| FIRST TEAM |
| Name |
School |
Yr. |
GPA |
Major |
| Kayla Behnke (1) |
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Mathematics & Computer Science |
| Olivia Bohlen (2,6) |
Central College |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Kinesiology |
| Sophie Bull (1,5) |
Calvin University |
Sr. |
3.98 |
Kinesiology |
| Emily Camlet |
Drew University |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Italian Studies, Statistics |
| Nora Chen |
University of Rochester |
Jr. |
3.99 |
Psychology & Brain & Cognitive Sciences |
| Adriana Crabtree (2) |
Illinois Wesleyan University |
Sr. |
3.86 |
Environmental Studies |
| Charlotte Frere (1,4) |
Augustana College (IL) |
Sr. |
3.96 |
Kinesiology & Biology |
| Audrey MacLean (3) |
Middlebury College |
Jr. |
3.92 |
Molecular Biology & Biochemistry |
| Elle Marsyla |
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps |
Sr. |
3.98 |
Computational Biology |
| Grace McDonough (2) |
Connecticut College |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Psychology & Human Development & Education |
| Serena McNeilly |
Centre College |
Jr. |
3.84 |
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology |
| Gabriella Nye (2) |
Widener University |
Gr. |
4.00/4.00 |
Physical Therapy (G) |
| Sara Schermerhorn (3) |
Hope College |
Sr. |
3.91 |
Exercise Science |
| Haley Schoenegge (3) |
Vassar College |
Jr. |
3.74 |
Economics |
| Hailey Surace (1) |
MIT |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Business Management |
| SECOND TEAM |
| Name |
School |
Yr. |
GPA |
Major |
| Avery Baker-Schlendering |
Ohio Northern University |
So. |
3.76 |
Exercise Physiology |
| Jenae Bothe |
Washington University in St. Louis |
Sr. |
3.91 |
Political Science |
| Sierra Doody |
SUNY Geneseo |
Sr. |
3.97 |
Geography & Sustainable Studies |
| Erika Ezumba |
Johns Hopkins University |
Sr. |
3.75 |
Molecular & Cellular Biology |
| Ashley Glennon |
University of Dubuque |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Sport Marketing & Management |
| Katelyn Howard |
MIT |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Chemistry & Biology |
| Kayla Pelletier |
University of Hartford |
Gr. |
3.68 |
Prosthetics & Orthotics |
| Kate Sanderson (3) |
MIT |
Sr. |
3.90 |
Biological Engineering |
| Lianne Saussy |
Johns Hopkins University |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Molecular & Cellular Biology |
| Mackenzie Setton |
Johns Hopkins University |
Sr. |
3.98 |
Molecular & Cellular Biology |
| Kate Swann |
Williams College |
Sr. |
3.99 |
Contract Quantitative Environmental Studies |
| Mackenzie Walker |
Washington University in St. Louis |
Sr. |
3.98 |
English Literature |
| Lilly Wurtz |
Middlebury College |
Sr. |
3.95 |
Computer Science |
| Leah Zastrow |
University of Wisconsin-Stout |
Sr. |
3.93 |
Business Administration |
| Tally Zeller (3) |
Colby College |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Economics & Government |
| THIRD TEAM |
| Name |
School |
Yr. |
GPA |
Major |
| Claire Anderson |
Washington & Jefferson College |
Sr. |
3.74 |
Political Science and Philosophy |
| Julia Caputo |
Johnson & Wales University |
Gr. |
3.86/3.97 |
Business Administration (G) |
| Cassie Carr (2) |
Washington and Lee University |
Gr. |
3.91 |
Law (G) |
| Eva Ciuffetelli |
University of Rochester |
Jr. |
3.88 |
Chemical Engineering |
| Mackenzie Davis |
University of Mount Union |
Jr. |
4.00 |
Psychology |
| Caroline Echols |
Washington University in St. Louis |
Jr. |
3.95 |
Psychological & Brain Sciences |
| Ellie Fitzgerald |
Williams College |
Sr. |
3.96 |
Chemistry |
| Amber Grosse |
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse |
Sr. |
3.85 |
Biology |
| Mackenzie Huber |
Illinois Wesleyan University |
Jr. |
3.93 |
Elementary Education |
| Josephine Jett |
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps |
Jr. |
3.67 |
Public Policy |
| Emma Kelly |
University of Chicago |
Sr. |
3.97 |
Economics |
| Izzy Peterson |
University of Wisconsin-Platteville |
Sr. |
3.64 |
English |
| Shelby Stall |
DePauw University |
Jr. |
3.97 |
Computer Science & Business Analytics |
| JoJo Tyynismaa |
Wartburg College |
Sr. |
3.84 |
Mathematics |
| Isabel Wyatt (3) |
St. Olaf College |
Sr. |
3.99 |
Quantitative Economics |
(1) – Academic All-America® first team in 2024-25
(2) – Academic All-America® second team in 2024-25
(3) – Academic All-America® third team in 2024-25
(4) – Academic All-America® first team in 2023-24
(5) – Academic All-America® second team in 2023-24
(6) – Academic All-America® third team in 2023-24
