NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Throughout her four years donning the maize and blue, Carleton College alumnus Simone Childs-Walker ’12 (Seattle/Lakeside) dominated not only in her distance-running competitions but also in the classroom. She was honored Tuesday as a repeat first-team selection to the 2012 NCAA Division III Academic All-America® Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Carleton student-athletes have earned Academic All-America distinction only 18 times overall, and this is just the fourth time that a Knight was voted to the national first team. Childs-Walker, a philosophy major, graduated two weeks ago summa cum laude after posting a cumulative 3.97 grade-point average. She joins Ted Marschall ’09 as the only Carleton student-athletes recognized twice as an Academic All-American, but she is the first to earn a spot on the national first team on two occasions.
Last spring Childs-Walker became the third Knight in school history to garner a spot on the first team Academic All-America list (SEE CHART BELOW), joining football player Scott Hanks ’93 (1992) and swimmer Jason Brown ’03 (2003).
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Carleton College Academic All-Americans
| Year | Student-Athlete | Academic All-America Team | Sport/Position | |||
| 1992 | -- | Scott Hanks | -- | Football (1st team) | -- | Tight End |
| 1995 | -- | Jon Bougie | -- | Men's At-Large (2nd team) | -- | Track & Cross Country |
| -- | Lydia Neilsen | -- | Women's At-Large (2nd team) | -- | Swimming | |
| 1996 | -- | Kevin Theissen | -- | Men's At-Large (3rd team) | -- | Track & Cross Country |
| 1998 | -- | Max Harper | -- | Men's At-Large (2nd team) | -- | Swimming |
| 1999 | -- | Josh Wilhelm | -- | Men's Basketball (2nd team) | -- | Forward |
| 2000 | -- | Jeff Thurk | -- | Football (2nd team) | -- | Defensive Line |
| -- | Sandra Helquist | -- | Women's At-Large (3rd team) | -- | Track & Field | |
| 2001 | -- | Carl Tape | -- | Men's At-Large (2nd team) | -- | Soccer |
| 2003 | -- | Jason Brown | -- | Men's At-Large (1st team) | -- | Swimming |
| -- | Matt Hooley | -- | Men's Track/Cross Country (3rd team) | -- | Track & Cross Country | |
| 2004 | -- | Britta Vietenheimer | -- | Women's At-Large (2nd team) | -- | Swimming |
| 2005 | -- | David Watson | -- | Men's Soccer (3rd team) | -- | Midfielder |
| 2008 | -- | Ted Marschall | -- | Men's At-Large (3rd team) | -- | Swimming |
| 2009 | -- | Ted Marschall | -- | Men's At-Large (2nd team) | -- | Swimming |
| 2010 | -- | Will Taylor | -- | Football (2nd team) | -- | Offensive Line |
| 2011 | -- | Simone Childs-Walker | -- | Women’s Track/Cross Country (1st team) | -- | Track & Cross Country |
| 2012 | -- | Simone Childs-Walker | -- | Women’s Track/Cross Country (1st team) | -- | Track & Cross Country |
This was the latest honor bestowed on Childs-Walker, who was not heavily recruited by other colleges coming out of high school. Last week she was announced as the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s (MIAC) nominee for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year award.
In addition to her success in the classroom, she is a 12-time All-American at the NCAA Championships, the highest individual total in school history. Childs-Walker earned two of those citations this academic year, placing seventh in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in March, then taking eighth place in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in May.
“What an impressive way to cap off an incredible career,” said Carleton Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Donna Ricks. “Simone truly embodies what it means to be a student-athlete in Division III. I am proud of how she has handled all aspects of her life, and she has demonstrated once again what hard work and commitment will do.”
A total of 18 student-athletes from Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) schools landed on Academic All-America teams this year, with Childs-Walker being one of only seven voted to their respective first teams (SEE CHART AT BOTTOM OF PAGE).
Across the country there were a total of 30 repeat selections for first-team Academic All-America® with 14 of those awarded to student-athletes from NCAA Division III institutions, including Childs-Walker, University of St. Thomas football player Dan Chapman, and Augsburg College wrestler Tony Valek. That trio represent the MIAC’s only repeat selections as Academic All-Americans this year.
The Capital One Division III Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2011-12 D-III Academic All-America® teams program.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Only Academic All-District first-team selections are eligible for Academic All-America recognition. Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports. For more information about the Capitol One Academic All-America Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com.
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Academic All-Americans 2011-12
| Student-Athlete |
School |
Academic All-America Team |
||
| Dan Chapman | -- | Univ. of St. Thomas | -- | Football -- (1st team) |
| Brad Kruckeberg | -- | Gustavus Adolphus | -- | Football -- (1st team) |
| Fritz Waldvogel | -- | Univ. of St. Thomas | -- | Football -- (2nd team) |
| David Vavra | -- | Bethel University | -- | Football -- (2nd team) |
| Benjamin Ceder | -- | Gustavus Adolphus | -- | Men's Soccer -- (1st team) |
| Taylor Rasmussen | -- | Macalester College | -- | Men's Soccer -- (3rd team) |
| Liz Stock | -- | Hamline University | -- | Women's Soccer -- (1st team) |
| Ashley Maher | -- | Univ. of St. Thomas | -- | Volleyball -- (3rd team) |
| Molly Geske | -- | Gustavus Adolphus | -- | Women's Basketball -- (2nd team) |
| Garrett Salzman | -- | Macalester College | -- | Baseball -- (2nd team) |
| Lisa Klass | -- | Gustavus Adolphus | -- | Softball -- (3rd team) |
| Tony Valek | -- | Augsburg College | -- | Men's At-Large (wrestling) -- (1st team) |
| Lindsey Hjelm | -- | Gustavus Adolphus | -- | Women's At-Large (ice hockey) -- (3rd team) |
| Vanessa Kleckner | -- | St. Olaf College | -- | Women's At-Large (golf) -- (3rd team) |
| Eyo Epko | -- | Univ. of St. Thomas | -- | Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country -- (1st team) |
| Simone Childs-Walker | -- | Carleton College | -- | Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country -- (1st team) |
| Brooke Beskau | -- | Gustavus Adolphus | -- | Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country -- (3rd team) |
| Kaari Jensen | -- | Concordia College | -- | Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country -- (3rd team) |
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