AUSTIN, Texas --- Tusculum University distance runner Nicole McMillen has been named to the NCAA Division II Academic All-America® Women's Cross Country / Track & Field first team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
McMillen earns Academic All-America® first team honors for a second straight year for the CoSIDA cross country and track & field program. She was a CoSIDA Academic All-America® second team selection for women's soccer in the fall of 2018.
She is the fourth TU women's student-athlete to earn Academic All-America® honors for cross country and track & field and becomes the second two-time winner joining Jenny Grant who was a third team selection in 2012 and a first-teamer in 2013. She is the only student-athlete in school history to earn Academic All-America® in separate programs (women's soccer and cross country / track & field).
McMillen earned her undergraduate degree from Tusculum in business management where she finished with a 3.92 cumulative grade point average in 2019. She enrolled in graduate school at Tusculum in business administration and has a 4.00 GPA. She is a member of the South Atlantic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll, Tusculum Athletic Director Roll, Dean's List, President's List and Charles Oliver Gray Honors List.
The Pickering, Ontario native was honored as the SAC Women's Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year and the USTFCCCA Southeast Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year after winning three gold medals at the SAC Indoor Track & Field Championships and setting four school and conference records during the 2019-20 indoor track & field season. McMillen also qualified for nationals in the mile, but did not declare for the event in order to focus on the 3,000 and 5,000 meter events.
McMillen helped the Pioneers to a third-place finish in the team standings at the SAC Indoor Championships, winning the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters and running the anchor leg in the gold-medal winning distance medley relay for the Pioneers. During the season, McMillen set school and conference records in the mile (4:53.57), 3,000 meters (9:39.38) and 5,000 meters (16:53.86).
She was named the South Atlantic Conference Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year last fall as she won four races including the SAC Championship by 25 seconds with a time of 21:37.4, and was second at the NCAA II Southeast Region meet with a time of 21:02.1 to qualify for nationals for a second straight year, where she finished in 92nd place out of 260 runners.
She was named the 2019 SAC Women's Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year and has been tabbed the SAC Women's Track & Field Scholar Athlete of the Year in each of the last two seasons (2019 & 2020).
Last month, McMillen was named to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA II Indoor Track & Field All-America team both in the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters. She finished sixth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2019 NCAA II National Outdoor Championship to earn All-America accolades.
The Division II and III CoSIDA Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2019-20 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs. The NAIA CoSIDA Academic All-America® program is partially financially supported through the NAIA national office.
CoSIDA NCAA II Academic All-America Cross Country / Track & Field Team
First Team
Athina Amanor, Spring Hill
Morgan Ash, Missouri Southern
Maia Austin, Colorado-Colorado Springs
Elena Bisotto, Missouri Southern
Addison Cantor, Florida Southern
Chloe Cook, Colorado School of Mines
Emma Driggers, Francis Marion
Katie Etelamaki, Ferris St.
Hanna Groeber, Grand Valley St.
Lauren Huebner, Saginaw Valley St.
Valda Kabia, West Texas A&M
Haven Lander, Pittsburg St.
Andra Lehotay, Walsh
Nicole McMillen, Tusculum
Piper Misse, Pittsburg St.
Second Team
Elle Alexander, Azusa Pacific
Zoe Baker, Colorado School of Mines
Elysia Burgos, Southwest Baptist
Kaija Crowe, Colorado-Colorado Springs
Bethany Danner, Northwest Nazarene
Brittney Duquette, Cal State East Bay
Sara Edens, Embry-Riddle
Carley Hale, Southern Arkansas
Nele Heinrich, West Texas A&M
Ellianne Kimes, Grand Valley St.
Madeleine Maltais, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Olivia Montez Brown, Augustana
Stefanie Parsons, Edinboro
Marie Riess, Alaska-Anchorage
Hailey Streff, Colorado St.-Pueblo
Third Team
Lauren Bailey, Indianapolis
Michelle Bauer, Nova Southeastern
Emily Byrd, Michigan Tech
Sarah Cerrone, Colorado Mesa
Taryn Christy, Illinois-Springfield
Courtney Clark, Colorado School of Mines
Ruth Cvancara, Alaska Anchorage
Aliyah Dawkins, Western Washington
Hannah Flemming, Florida Southern
Billie Hatch, Dixie St.
Dania Holmberg, Seattle Pacific
Grace Knapp, Western Oregon
Kate Lilly, Seattle Pacific
Kara Lindberg, Concordia-St. Paul
Hannah Mercer, Catawba
Caitlyn Padgett, Seton Hill
Kacey Raible, Slippery Rock
Melah Ridenour, Southwest Baptist
Danielle Stewart, Wheeling
Academic All-American of the Year: Haven Lander, Pittsburg St.