GREENWOOD, Ind.—Five Lewis & Clark College men's track & field and cross country student-athletes were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team, the CSC announced on Tuesday morning. 
 
The Pioneers placed five student-athletes on the Academic All-District Team for a second-straight year. Junior Jon Fritz was the lone repeat award winner. Sophomores Samuel Garcia, Quinn Higgins, Evan Markelz and Emil Miller were all first-time honorees. 
 
The Academic All-District Teams recognize the top student-athletes for their performance on-and-off the field. To be eligible, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, be at least a sophomore academically and athletically and must be ranked in the top-50 in the region in at least one individual event across the three seasons (cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field). Schools could only nominate a maximum of five student-athletes on both the men's and women's teams.
 
Fritz is a Psychology major, with a minor in Neuroscience, hailing from Newport, Oregon. The junior hurdler and thrower posted a team-best five marks that ranked in the top-50 in the West Region. During Indoor Track season, he notched the 22^nd-fastest time in the 60M Hurdles (8.99) and was a member of the 4x400M Relay Team that registered the 11^th-fastest mark in the West (3:39.65). He added three more top-50 marks during the Spring. Fritz finished 33^rd in the region in the 110M Hurdles (16.25) and 24^th in the Javelin (51.37M/168-6 Feet). He also was a member of the 4x400M Relay Team that finished 20^th in the region with a time of 3:23.45. His career-best throw of 51.37M in the javelin, moved him up to 39^th in program history in the event.   
 
Garcia is an Environmental Studies major from Littleton, Colorado. Despite dealing with injuries during the cross country and track & field seasons, he posted a pair of top-50 marks during his sophomore campaign. He notched the 20^th-fastest time in the Mile in the West Region during Indoor Track, when he crossed the line in 4:29.33. Garcia added a top-50 mark in the 5K in Outdoor Track. He posted a mark of 14:45.56 - to move into eighth all-time in program history in the event. 
 
Higgins is a Biology major, with a Psychology minor, hailing from Denver, Colorado. He was one of two student-athletes on the team to post top-50 times in all three seasons. He enjoyed a career year that started with cross country. Higgins just missed out on All-Region spot at the NCAA DIII West Regional Championship Meet, when he placed 36^th out of 174 runners. The sophomore added the 12^th-fastest time in the Mile (4:25.45) during the Indoor season. He posted two final top-50 times in Outdoor Track. Higgins notched the 29^th-fastest time in the 1,500M (3:56.70) and the 23^rd-fastest 5K mark (14:48.94). All four of his top-50 marks were career-best times and he now ranks in the top-13 in program history in Outdoor Track in the 5K (ninth) and 1,500M (t-13^th). 
 
Markelz is an Environmental Studies major, with a minor in Earth System Science, from Mountain View, California. The sophomore continued to assert his claim as one of the top distance runners in the Northwest Conference and the entire West Region. He claimed top-50 marks in all three seasons and four overall. Markelz earned his first trip to an NCAA DIII National Championship Meet, when he finished 10^th overall at the West Regional Cross Country Championship Meet. He claimed his second All-Region honors of the season in Indoor Track, when he posted the fifth-fastest time in the West in the Mile (4:20.74). The sophomore tacked on two more top-15 times in the Spring. He notched the seventh-fastest 10K mark (30:42.08) and the 11^th-fastest time in the 5K (14:42.55). He earned his first career All-Conference honors in track & field with his time in the 10K and he now ranks in the top-six in program history in both the 10K (fourth) and 5K (sixth) for Outdoor Track. 
 
Miller is a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Mathematics double major hailing from Yakima, Washington. The sophomore transfer made a big impact for the Pioneers during his first season. He posted a pair of top-50 marks and proved to make an immediate impact for the Pioneers distance team. In the winter, Miller registered the 49^th-fastest time in the Indoor Mile (4:43.20). He proved to be the top steeplechaser on the team and finished 22^nd overall in the West during the Outdoor Season. His time of 9:44.51 at the Portland Twilight moved him into 22^nd in program history in the event.