Eight student-athletes from the University of Alabama’s track and field and cross country teams have been named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team, according to an announcement made Tuesday.
The honorees on the men’s side are RJ Decker, Peter Diebold, Oussama El Bouchayby, and Trevor Gunzell. Representing the women’s team are Megan Albamonti, Treneese Hamilton, Doris Lemngole, and Lilly Walters. Each athlete competed for Alabama at both the Southeastern Conference Championships and the NCAA East First Round. Six of them also participated in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships earlier this month.
Albamonti, Decker, Gunzell, Hamilton, Lemngole, and Walters have advanced as CSC Academic All-America finalists. Their names will be placed on a national ballot for further consideration by CSC members.
“All eight honorees were members of the Crimson Tide’s NCAA postseason contingent, as six earned National Championship-qualifying results from the NCAA East First Round meet,” according to the release. “Five student-athletes amassed perfect 4.0 GPAs.”
Among those recognized are Megan Albamonti (post-baccalaureate), Peter Diebold (master’s in communication studies), Oussama El Bouchayby (sport management), Doris Lemngole (sport management), and Lilly Walters (kinesiology – exercise science).
“Six student-athletes competed at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships earlier this month, highlighted by NCAA 3,000m steeplechase champion Lemngole,” states the announcement. “Lemngole was one of three athletes to notch First Team All-America performances, joining Diebold (sixth, men’s 4x400m relay) and El Bouchayby (sixth, men’s 4x400m relay).”
Other notable achievements include Albamonti earning Second Team All-America honors in women’s javelin; Decker securing bronze in men’s hammer throw at the outdoor conference meet before ending his season at NCAAs; Gunzell winning silver in men’s discus at SECs before collecting Second Team All-America honors in both discus and shot put nationally; Hamilton claiming gold in shot put during SEC Indoor Championships before receiving Honorable Mention All-America recognition outdoors; and Walters recording a scoring finish at SEC Outdoors while running alongside Lemngole in women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase before her season concluded at regionals.
