Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Cole, Maier named to CoSIDA Academic All-District Teams
05/28/2019 | 1:16:00 | Cross Country, Swimming & Diving, Track and Field
Southern Illinois University distance runner Josh Maier and swimmer Chris Cole have been named to CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-District Teams.
The 2018-19 Academic All-District Teams recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. The CoSIDA Academic All-District ® teams are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. SIU is a member of District 5, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
Maier graduated from SIU with a bachelor's degree in computer science and is currently a graduate student in the program with a 3.91 cumulative grade point average. Cole, meanwhile, has a 3.97 GPA as a journalism major.
A four-time recipient of the MVC's Elite 17 award, the highest academic honor given by the conference, Maier had a terrific senior season for the Salukis. The 2018 MVC Men's XC Athlete of the Year, Maier captured the MVC men's individual title to become the first Saluki since 2010 to do so. In his final outdoor season as a Saluki, Maier won MVC titles in both the 1500 and the 5K - becoming just the sixth male runner in Valley history to win both at the same meet and the first to do so since SIU's Jeff Schirmer in 2011. That wasn't the only history that Maier made at the 2019 MVC Outdoor Championships, as he also broke the Valley's 38-year old meet record in the 5K with his winning time of 14:04.78.
A two-time All-MAC honoree, Cole won eight events and posted 16 top-five finishes during his senior campaign. A 2018 CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team selection, Cole scored points in three events (200-back, 400-yard IM, 1650-free) at the 2019 MAC Championships and tallied two top-five school marks in the 400-IM.Â
Maier was one of seven from the Valley selected to Cross Country/Track and Field Academic All-District teams, while Cole was one of three from the MVC to earn a spot on an At-Large Academic All-District Team. Both Maier and Cole will advance to the Academic All-America Team National ballot, where first, second and third team selections will be announced next month.
Players Mentioned
