The foursome of Leah Barker, Mylene Cannon, Burkheart Ellis, Jr. and Omar Johnson from Saint Augustine's University earned NCAA Division II All-Academic honors for the 2015-16 season from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Thursday, July 28, 2016.
Barker, Ellis and Johnson were recognized by the USTFCCCA for the second straight year. This is the first USTFCCCA academic award for Cannon.
To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and reached the provisional or automatic qualifying standard for the NCAA Division II Championships in either the indoor or outdoor season.
Barker is a business administration major who has a 3.74 cumulative grade point average (GPA). A rising junior from St. Michaels, Barbados, she was part of the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams which claimed All-America awards at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships.
Cannon is a sport management major with a 3.53 cumulative GPA. A rising senior, Cannon was a member of the 4x400 relay team which earned All-America accolades at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships. A Dallas, Texas, native, Cannon was chosen team MVP in women's cross country.
Ellis graduated from Saint Augustine's University in May 2016 with a 3.28 cumulative GPA. A Raleigh, N.C., native, the talented sprinter is headed to the Rio Olympics after a spectacular collegiate season. He was named NCAA Division II Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year after leading the Falcons to their fourth straight national outdoor crown. Ellis won the 200 dash, placed second in the 100 dash and was a member of the winning 4x100 relay squad at NCAA outdoor nationals. The team outdoor MVP, Ellis will compete for Barbados in the Olympics.
Johnson is a human performance and wellness major with a 3.53 GPA. A St. Ann, Jamaica, native, Johnson was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team in June 2016. A rising senior, the sprinter was part of the Falcons' top-ranked 4x400 indoor relay squad. Last season, Johnson was the NCAA Division II 400 dash outdoor national champion and NCAA Division II men's outdoor region track MVP. He did not run this past outdoor season due to injury. Johnson posted the team highest GPA in men's track and field and cross country in addition to winning the most improved runner award in men's cross country.
Both Ellis and Johnson were key members of the 2016 CIAA Men's Indoor Championship team, and Ellis helped lead the Falcons to the 2016 CIAA men's outdoor crown. He sparked the Falcons to six men's NCAA national titles including four straight outdoor championships during his four-year career.
The quartet is among a group of 294 males and 483 females who earned Division II All-Academic status.
