AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn juniors Carson Bedics and Ryan Kinnane have been named USTFCCCA All-Academic Athletes, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced recently. Both were recognized for their outstanding academic and athletic achievements during the cross country season.
"We are very proud of both Carson and Ryan," said Tigers cross country coach Aaron Kindt. "Both possess exceptional work ethic and have been leaders on and off the track for us this year."
To qualify for All-Academic Athlete status student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 and finish in the top 10 percent at the NCAA Regional Championships.
The honor is the second of Kinnane's career with the last coming following the 2021 cross country season. Kinnane's fall season concluded with a 89th place finish at his first NCAA Cross Country Championships in which ran 30:09.5, the best individual finish by an Auburn man since Ty McCormack's 40th place finish in 2013. Over the course of the 2022 season, the Andover, Kansas native racked up three top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at the Louisville Classic where he ran a personal best 23:21.6. Kinnane is currently pursuing a degree in aviation management.
This year's honor marks the first in the career of Bedics. The Homewood, Alabama native helped the Auburn men in four of six meets throughout the fall season finishing inside the top-50. Following a top-25 finish in his season finale at NCAA Regionals, he was also named to the USTFCCCA All-Region team. Bedics is currently pursuing a degree in biological sceinces.
Additionally, both the men's and women's cross country teams were named USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams for the fifth year in a row with 3.38 and 3.55 GPAs, respectively.
"Both teams take a lot of pride of their academic work and it shows as we have continually had one of the best GPAs year in and year out," Kindt said.
Both Bedics and Kinnane continue to compete for the Tigers as indoor track season is in full swing. Auburn heads to Clemson, S.C. for the Tiger Paw Invite and Nashville, Tenn. for the Music City Challenge for its next team meets, the on February 10-11.