Fifteen members of the Northern Illinois University women’s track and field team have earned Academic All-Mid-American Conference honors for the outdoor season, as announced by the league office on Wednesday (June 5).

This season’s honor is the third Outdoor Track and Field Academic All-MAC award for Julia Finegan (Palatine, Ill./Fremd), a software development major with a 4.0 GPA, and Kendal Only (Huntley, Ill./Huntley), a nursing major with a 3.44 GPA. Finegan also earned Academic All-MAC recognition earlier this season in cross country and indoor track and field while Only was an Indoor Track and Field Academic All-MAC honoree.

Joining Finegan in earning three Academic All-MAC awards during the 2023-24 school year is Emma Vorpagel (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead), a finance major with a 3.805 GPA. Vorpagel is also a two-time outdoor track and field recipient, having earned the award a season ago.

Joy Jackson (North Aurora, Ill./Benet Academy) a sociology/criminology major with a 4.0 GPA, and Roshell Rowe (Manchester, N.J./Manchester), a biological sciences major with a 3.447 GPA, are both two-time Outdoor Track and Field Academic All-MAC honorees while also receiving their second academic recognition of the year. Jackson was honored during the cross country season while Rowe earned indoor track and field honors.

Lydia Bauer (DeForest, Wis./DeForest), a nutrition, dietetics and wellness major with a 3.886 GPA, and Carly Leonard (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./College of Lake County), a kinesiology major with a 3.677 GPA, each claimed Cross Country Academic All-MAC honors earlier this year while Olivia Southby (New South Wales, Australia/Washburn) was an Indoor Track and Field Academic All-MAC honoree.

Tara Stauffacher (Columbus, Wis./Wisconsin), a kinesiology major with a 4.0 GPA, joined the Huskie track and field program for the outdoor season this spring following the conclusion of basketball season, where she also earned Academic All-MAC recognition.

Six additional Huskies: Henriette Halwas (Knittlingen, Germany/Lindsey Wilson), Christine Irving (St. James, Jamaica/Texas State, Emily Rublein (Madison, Wis./Madison West), Talayssia Sanders (Waco, Texas/Central Arkansas), Jazmyn Smith (Pinecrest, Fla./Gulliver Prep) and Malia Watkins (Upper Marlboro, Md./Missouri State) are collecting their first Academic All-MAC award.

The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must be in their second year or later, have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport.

2024 NIU Outdoor Track and Field Academic All-MAC Honorees

Lydia Bauer, Sophomore, Nutrition, Dietetics and Wellness, 3.886

Julia Finegan, Senior, Software Development, 4.0

Henriette Halwas, Junior, Kinesiology, 3.959

Christine Irving, Fifth Year, Health Sciences, 3.534

Joy Jackson, Junior, Sociology/Criminology, 4.0

Carly Leonard, Senior, Kinesiology, 3.677

Kendal Only, Senior, Nursing, 3.44

Roshell Rowe, Junior, Biological Sciences, 3.447

Emily Rublein, Sophomore, Art and Design Education, 3.734

Talayssia Sanders, Junior, Health Sciences, 3.279

Jazmyn Smith, Fifth Year, Sociology/Criminology, 4.0

Olivia Southby, Junior, Sport Management, 3.556

Tara Stauffacher, Senior, Kinesiology, 4.0

Emma Vorpagel, Junior, Finance, 3.805

Malia Watkins, Senior, Art, 3.333