Sports information directors select Oglethorpe's Mateo Villa to Academic All-District team

The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) named Oglethorpe University graduating senior cross-country star Mateo Villa to their 2020 Academic All-District Men's Track and Field/Cross Country Team on Friday. It marked his first time receiving the honor, which goes to the student-athletes who show the best combination of academic and athletic performance in each district.

Villa finished 31st at the NCAA Division III South/Southeast Regional meet in the fall, earning All-Region honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) in the process. He also earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors for the 2019 season, finishing in the top 25 percent of participants at the regional meet and earning a cumulative GPA of 3.88 at Oglethorpe while studying engineering.

The Stormy Petrel runner was named to the SAA Fall Academic Honor Roll three times over the course of his career and earned spots on the SAA Winter/Spring Academic Honor Roll twice as a member of the track and field squad. Villa garnered five Dean's List honors during his time at Oglethorpe.

The CoSIDA Academic All-District team for NCAA Division III District 5 was voted on by sports information directors at schools in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Villa joined a group of 11 cross country/track and field athletes from the district to earn a spot on the team, four of which hailed from SAA institutions.

Student-athletes are nominated for Academic All-District consideration by the sports information directors at their respective schools and must accrue a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3 while being either at least a sophomore or in their second year at their current institution. Nominees must also serve as major contributors to their respective teams on the field and have participated in at least half of their team's official competitions during the season.

By earning a spot on the Academic All-District team, Villa automatically advanced to the CoSIDA Academic All-America ballot.