By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Three Willamette University track and field athletes -- Hannah Swanson (Sr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS), Keaton Beckmann (Fr., Salem, OR/Sprague HS) and Brian Peck (So., Reno, NV/Reno HS) -- have been named to the 2017-18 NCAA Division III All-Academic Track and Field Team as selected by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Student-athletes earned the award through academic and athletic success.
Each All-Academic athlete recorded a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher (4.0 scale), while either competing at the NCAA Division III Championships or by finishing the regular season ranked in the top 50 nationally in an individual event or in the top 35 in a relay event.
The USTFCCCA All-Academic Team for women's track and field included 627 athletes from 152 NCAA Division III institutions. The All-Academic Team in men's track and field included 408 athletes from 124 Division III colleges and universities.
USTFCCCA All-Academic Women's Track and Field Team
Hannah Swanson (Sr.) received USTFCCCA All-Academic status in track and field for the third consecutive season. She graduated from Willamette this spring with a major in Biology. She received a $2,500 grant from Willamette's Green Fund this year to develop conservation efforts and community awareness regarding the acorn woodpecker in Salem, Oregon. She was chosen as a co-winner of the Jean Williams Award for 2018, an honor which goes each year to the senior female student-athlete who most excelled in all areas of her career at Willamette by exemplifying and demonstrating outstanding leadership, scholarship and athleticism.
This spring, Swanson qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a top time of 10:44.86. She reached the championship final at the NCAA meet and finished 13th in the nation.
She concluded the 2017 season ranked 45th in the nation in the 1500-meter run with a time of 4:37.33 at the Oregon State University High Performance Meet. In 2016, Swanson participated in the NCAA Division III Championships in the 1,500-meter run and took 13th place with a time of 4:35.68.
Swanson registered a personal record time of 4:33.03 at the Portland Twilight on May 5, 2016. She holds fifth place in the 1,500-meter run on Willamette's all-time list.
During the 2018 Northwest Conference Championships, Swanson placed second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase be earning what proved to be her national-qualifying time. She also took fourth place in the NWC in the 1,500-meter run. She ranks fifth all-time at Willamette in the steeplechase and the 1,500.
In 2017, Swanson placed seventh in the NWC in the 800-meter run. In 2015 and 2016, she took second place in the 1,500-meter run at the NWC meet. She was sixth in the NWC in the 800-meter run in 2015.
Swanson competed at five NCAA championships during her career. In addition to participating at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in the 1,500-meter run in 2016 and the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 2018, she ran at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2017. She contributed to Willamette placing 10th in the cross country team standings in 2015 and helped the Bearcats place 15th in 2014.
USTFCCCA All-Academic Men's Track and Field Team
Keaton Beckmann (Fr.) received USTFCCCA All-Academic status in track and field for the first time. He competed in the decathlon this spring and ranked 22nd in NCAA Division III with a top score of 6,236 at the Portland Twilight on May 11. He is majoring in Chemistry at Willamette.
Beckmann was named NWC Freshman of the Year during the 2018 NWC Championships after placing third in the long jump, third in the 400-meter dash, and fifth in the decathlon. His top distance at the NWC meet in the long jump covered 22' 6.25". His time in the final of the 400-meter dash was 49.75 seconds. In the NWC decathlon competition, Beckmann registered a score of 5,974 points.
During the season, Beckmann's top mark in the long jump was 22' 8.75" at the Chico State Invitational. He was timed in a personal record of 49.60 seconds in the prelims of the 400-meter dash at the NWC Championships.
Brian Peck (So.) received USTFCCCA All-Academic status in track and field for the first time. He finished the year ranked 49th in NCAA Division III with a top score of 5,747 in the steeplechase. He registered his top score at the NWC Multi-Event Championships on April, 9-10. Peck is majoring in Environmental and Earth Science.
This spring, Peck earned top marks of 11.65 seconds in the 100-meter dash, 20' 1.5" in the long jump, 42' 3.5" in the triple jump, and 16.25 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles. He helped Willamette place third in the 4 x 400-meter relay at the NWC Championships in 3:24.73. He was seventh in the NWC in the decathlon.
NOTE: The academic year listed for each athlete is for the 2018 season.