KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University was recognized with five selections to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team for the 2024-25 academic year.
 
Representing the Maroon and Gold on this year's Academic All-District Team were Delaney Beard (Sinking Spring, Pa./Governor Mifflin), Jaelyn D'Amelio (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional), Mackey Donovan (Blauvelt, N.Y./Tappan Zee), Sophia Knerr (Columbia, N.J./North Warren Regional) and Beth Schearer (Springfield, Pa./Springfield).
 
The Academic All-District Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined athletic and academic excellence. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes men's track & field/cross country honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
 
To be eligible for inclusion on the Academic All-District Team, student-athletes must have reached sophomore academic and athletic status, hold a 3.50 cumulative grade point average or higher and finish in the top 50 at a NCAA regional cross country championship or rank in the top 50 of an individual track & field event based on TFRRS regional rankings. Schools are allowed a maximum of five male and five female nominations in track & field/cross country.
 
Beard, a Sinking Spring, Pa., native, is currently pursuing her master's degree in business administration and holds a 3.96 GPA. She previously received a graduate certificate in leadership from KU and attained a perfect 4.00 GPA while earning her bachelor's degree in biochemistry at Clarion University. Beard ranked within the top 10 of the Atlantic Region in both the indoor and outdoor triple jump. She recorded the region's eighth-best jump outdoors at 11.90m (39'0.5") and ninth-best jump indoors at 11.69m (38'4.25"). She also ranked 28th in the outdoor long jump.
 
D'Amelio, a graduate student from Manahawkin, N.J., is enrolled in the school counseling master's program at KU, where she has a 4.00 GPA. She graduated summa cum laude from Kutztown with a bachelor's degree in psychology in May of 2024. D'Amelio ranked 10th in the Atlantic Region in the indoor 3000m with a time of 10:14.39. She also ranked 11th in the outdoor 5000m and 31st in both the indoor mile and outdoor 10,000m.
 
Donovan, a junior psychology major from Blauvelt, N.Y., has a 3.50 GPA. The mid-distance standout recorded the region's ninth-fastest time in the indoor 800m with a 2:18.08. She ranked 24th in the outdoor 800m and 43rd in the outdoor 1500m.
 
Knerr, from Columbia, N.J., met qualifications for the Academic All-District Team in both cross country and track & field. The senior social work major with an unblemished 4.00 GPA, turned in the Atlantic Region's third-fastest 3000m steeplechase time of 11:20.17. She ranked in the top 20 of the region in the indoor 5000m (13th), outdoor 5000m (13th) and indoor 3000m (19th). Knerr, the 2025 PSAC Outdoor Track & Field Champion Scholar, also placed 41st at last fall's NCAA DII Atlantic Region Cross Country Championships with a 6k time of 22:23.3.
 
Schearer, a sophomore from Springfield, Pa., is majoring in business administration with a 3.60 GPA. She ranked in the top 25 of the region in three events and top 50 in four. Schearer was 18th in the indoor 200m and 19th in the outdoor 200m. She posted the 25th-best time in the outdoor 400m and ranked 45th in the outdoor 100m.

Knerr moved forward onto the Academic All-America ballot by virtue of her standout athletic and academic accolades. Academic All-America First-, second- and third-team honorees will be announced in mid-July.