NEW ORLEANS, La. - Nichole Manning (Kansas City, Mo./Winnetka) and Chelsea Lynes (Woodstock, Ontario/Huron Park) were named to the 2012 Division I United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All‐Academic Track and Field Team on Wednesday (July 25).

By receiving this honor, Manning and Lynes have maintained excellence both in the classroom and on the track. In order to qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, student-athletes must compile a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25.

Additionally, student-athletes must either participate in any round of the NCAA Division I Championships during the outdoor season or finish the indoor regular season ranked in the national top 96 in an individual event or national top 48 in a relay event.

Lynes ranked 74^th nationally in the 800-meter run, finishing with a time of 2:08.86 at the Iowa State Qualifier on March 3, while Manning, a pole vaulter, cleared 13-02.50 at the Summit League Championships to qualify for the NCAA West Regional that took place in Austin, Texas. Both of those marks are also Western Illinois records.

Manning, a Medical Science major, receives the honor for the second straight year after competing in the 2011 NCAA West Regional in Eugene, Ore. last year. She holds the program pole vault records for both indoor and outdoor track and field, and was also a six-time All-Summit League selection.

Lynes, an Exercise Science major, has made an impact on the Western Illinois recordbooks as well, setting the 600-meter, 800-meter and 1,000-meter run records, also holding the second fastest one-mile run in program history. She is also a two-time All-League honoree, as well as a three-time member of the Summit League Academic All-League team.

She is also a member of the cross country team, which will open its 2012 season in Macomb on Aug. 31 with the Western Illinois Early Bird Open.

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