Four members of the Middlebury men's cross country and track and field programs were highlighted as College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honorees. Benjamin Hughes, Owen Johnson, Caleb Smith and Zach Utz were tabbed for the honor.

HONOREE HIGHLIGHTS

• Hughes
  • Hughes, a rising senior majoring in economics, collects his first academic laurel from the organization.
  • The Panther earned his initial All-American distinction during the outdoor portion of the schedule, placing 10th in the 1,500-meter run at the NCAA Championships with a clocking of 3:49.73.
  • Hughes enjoyed a strong cross country campaign, securing an All-NESCAC Second-Team spot and posting the fourth-fastest eight-kilometer time in the region of 25:16.8. He also ranked fifth in the Mideast in the indoor mile (4:09.72), while recording the 19th-best regional effort in the indoor 3,000 (8:27.35).
  • Outdoors, Hughes held top-five rankings among regional peers in the 800 (1:51.58 - third) and the 1,500 (3:47.94 - fifth). His clocking in the latter was good for 23rd across Division III. In the 5,000, Hughes' time of 15:03.60 landed 40th in the Mideast.
  • The Panther was a four-time United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region selection this season and collected his initial NESCAC Track Athlete of the Week laurel.
  • He has been a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic recipient and has collected six conference all-academic honors.
• Johnson
  • Johnson recently graduated from Middlebury with a degree in international and global studies and architectural studies. He earns his initial academic all-district nod.
  • His top clocking of 25:40.1 slotted 22nd across the Mideast this cross country campaign. 
  • During the indoor track and field season, Johnson finished eighth regionally in the mile (4:10.15) and 33rd in the 3,000 (8:35.41).
  • The Panther starred in the 3,000 steeplechase this spring, posting the second-best time in the Mideast and the 21st-fastest time in the nation (9:06.00) to lock down an All-American accolade. He also carved out places in the regional rankings in the 1,500 (3:56.53 - 25th) and the 5,000 (15:07.11 - 44th).
  • Johnson collected a pair of USTFCCCA All-Region awards. 
  • He is a seven-time NESCAC All-Academic selection.
• Smith
  • Smith, a rising junior double majoring in architectural studies and environmental studies at Middlebury, earns his first Academic All-District selection.
  • The Panther posted a banner effort in the heptathlon during the indoor campaign, pacing the region and ranking eighth across Division III with 5,016 points. He later garnered First-Team All-American honors as the first Middlebury athlete to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the discipline.
  • Smith also owned the Mideast's top ranking outdoors in the decathlon, amassing 6,680 points to place 13th nationally.
  • He secured five all-region laurels throughout the year, including a long jump nod in both the winter and spring. The Panther also grabbed an All-NESCAC spot with a third-place leap of 7.07 meters at the conference invite.
  • Smith is a two-time USTFCCCA and four-time NESCAC All-Academic choice.
• Utz
  • Utz locks down the academic laurel for the first time after graduating with a degree in biology and environmental studies.
  • During the cross country season, the Panther was positioned 36th in the region with a time of 26:01.5.
  • Utz slotted 15th in the indoor mile (4:12.77). He also finished sixth in the 800 (1:52.00) and tied for 23rd place in the 1,500 (3:56.37) outdoors.
  • The recent graduate collected one All-NESCAC honor as a member of a 4x800 relay team and added an all-region award in the 800.
  • Utz has made appearances on five NESCAC All-Academic lists.

An athlete must be a sophomore athletically or higher, hold a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (GPA) or higher, have been enrolled at the institution for at least one calendar year and be a starter or key reserve on their team to be eligible for the honor. A full list of CSC Academic All-District honorees can be found here.