AUSTIN, Texas – The 2023 College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-America Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Teams were announced Wednesday and Gustavus’s three-time national champion Birgen Nelson (Sr., Edina) has been selected First Team Academic All-America. Academic All-America Teams recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
Nelson, a political science and classical languages double major with a 3.96 GPA, had a storybook ending to her Gustavus track & field career by repeating as the NCAA Division III national champion in the 100-hurdles and the runner up in the 400-hurdles. Nelson also won the national championship in the 60-hurdles at this past season’s NCAA Indoor Championships. Nelson became the most decorated track & field athlete in Gustavus history as a three-time national champion and eight-time All-American while graduating with 14 school records (indoor 60M, 200M, 400M, 55H, 60H, 4×200, 4×400, outdoor 100M, 200M, 100H, 400H, 4×100, 4×200, sprint medley). Nelson owns three NCAA DIII all-time records in the indoor 60-hurdles (8.33), outdoor 100-hurdles (13.32), and outdoor sprint medley relay (3:59.32). She also owns the top four all-time NCAA DIII times in the 60-hurdles and is a two-time USTFCCCA North Region Track Athlete of the Year and two-time MIAC Track Athlete of the Year.
Nelson garners her third consecutive CSC Academic All-America honor after earning First Team last year and Third Team in 2021. Nelson joins an exclusive group of five Gustavus student-athletes to earn three CSC Academic All-America honors. The others are gymnast Amanda Parker (2003, 04, 05), baseball player Ben Sherer (2004, 05, 06), softball player Rachael Click (2007, 08, 09), and men’s tennis player Nick Aney (2021, 22, 23). She also earns the Gustavus women’s track & field/cross country program’s 11th CSC Academic All-America honors.
Nelson brings Gustavus’s CSC Academic All-America all-time count to 132, which ranks first in the MIAC (54 more than the next institution), 13th in NCAA Division III, and 38th among all NCAA divisions.
To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
2023 CSC Academic All-America Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Teams