Graduate student pole vaulter Joe Jardine of the Kutztown University men's track and field team added onto his collection of postseason accolades Wednesday, July 10, as he was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Third Team.
This spring, Jardine competed in his first NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships, earning All-America status with a 12th-place finish in the pole vault. He was a PSAC outdoor champion in both the pole vault and long jump, while being tabbed the Most Outstanding Field Athlete at PSACs. He ranks third in program history in the outdoor pole vault (16-10.75) and is fourth in the long jump (24-1.5).
In the classroom, Jardine held a 3.89 GPA in grad school, studying data analytics and also earned a 3.75 GPA as an undergrad at the University of Kentucky.
In order to be named to the Academic All-America team, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore in athletic and academic standing, must own a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50, must rank in the top 50 regionally in at least one event and should be at least an All-Region caliber performer. The Academic All-America team is nominated for and voted on by the nation's athletic communication professionals.