Erik Barkhaus (Whitefish Bay, Wis.), the 2012 Western Athletic Conference cross country champion, was voted Capital One First Team Academic All-District VIII in men’s cross country and track and field, while three-year captain Meeghan Bergmann (Portland, Ore.) and conference steeplechase champion Hannah Mittelstaedt (Maple Valley, Wash.) earned Capital One Second Team Academic All-District VIII in women’s cross country and track and field, announced Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Barkhaus won the WAC cross country championship by four seconds Oct. 27, 2012, in Ruston, La., and followed that with a 15th place finish at the NCAA West Regional at Jefferson Park Golf Course in Seattle, earning All-Region honors. During the outdoor track and field season, he finished sixth in the 10,000 meter run at the WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, collecting Second Team All-WAC honors for his effort.
In 2012, he won the 10,000 meter run at the Great West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He leaves the Redhawk program as the school record holder in the 3000 meter run (8:21.63) and the 5000 meter run (14:42.52) for the indoor season and in the 5000 meter run (14:40.88) for the outdoor campaign. He currently carries a 3.50 grade point average and will earn his business administration degree in finance.
“For Barkhaus to be recognized on the First Team speaks to his determination,” Seattle U head cross country and track and field coach Trisha Steidl said. “He worked for a long time to rise to the level he achieved this past cross country season, and it’s great to see that be noticed by the greater cross country/track & field community.”
One of the team captains in each of the past three seasons, Bergmann was a consistent member of the sprinting group, competing in the 200 meter dash and the 400 meter dash as well as in the Redhawk relays. She will leave Seattle U as a member of the school-record quartets in the 4x400 meter relay during the indoor season and in both the 4x100 meter relay and 4x400 meter relay during the outdoor campaign.
Academically, Bergmann will graduate Seattle U with a Bachelor of Social Work degree. She earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average during the winter quarter to raise her cumulative GPA to 3.844. She received the athletics department’s Mission Award in 2012 for her work in the community, including organizing and running a track clinic for the children from Bailey Gatzert Elementary School. In December 2012, she attended the NCAA Leadership Forum.
The women’s 3000 steeplechase at the WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships came down to a duel between Mittelstaedt and Katelyn Hayward of UT Arlington. Mittelstaedt reached the finish 6/100ths of a second ahead of Hayward, picking up the conference title with a time of 10:45.84. She returned to the track the next day, finishing fourth in the women’s 5000 meter run in 17:36.32.
In the classroom, Mittelstaedt currently carries a 3.55 grade point average as an environmental science major. She earned Academic All-WAC recognition earlier this year during both the cross country and indoor track and field seasons. She picked up Second Team All-WAC honors for finishing 10th at the 2012 WAC Cross Country Championships during a season in which she continued her two-year streak of being the top Redhawk finisher in every cross country meet she competed in.
“This is a great honor both for these individuals and our program. It is wonderful to see people who work so hard in both academics and athletics be recognized for their commitment, dedication, and focus,” Steidl added.
Barkhaus is now eligible to be voted to the Division I Academic All-America Men’s Cross Country/Track and Field Team, which is scheduled to be announced Thursday, June 27. He is the third Seattle University student-athlete to earn First Team Academic All-District honors during the 2012-13 academic year, joining volleyball player Kelly Biette and softball player Allegra Wilde.
To be eligible for the Academic All-District and All-America Awards, student-athletes must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.3, must be at least a sophomore in athletic eligibility, must have spent at least one full calendar year at the nominating institution, and must be a starter or important reserve.