Jones Named Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-District

AUSTIN, Texas – Mars Hill's Nathan Jones was named a first team Academic All-District III Men's Track & Field/Cross Country Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Click here for complete list of award winners...

The 2015-16 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District™ Men's Track & Field / Cross Country Teams have been released to recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.

The Academic All-District™ teams include the student-athletes listed on the following pages and are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. This is the fifth year of the expanded Academic All-America® program as CoSIDA moved from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non-Division I) and has doubled the number of scholar-athletes honored. The expanded teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division Academic All-America® Team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools.

The Division II and III Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2015-16 DII and DIII Academic All-America® teams program.

First-team Academic All-District™ honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.

For more information about the Academic All-District™ and Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com.

Jones, a junior from Lenoir City, Tenn., carries a 3.76 overall GPA, while posting a 4.0 as a mathematics major.  He has earned Dean's List and SAC Commissioner's honor in each of his of three years at Mars Hill.  He is a three-time Academic All-American and was tabbed the South Atlantic Conference Men's Cross Country and Men's Track Scholar-Athlete of the Year this past season.

"Nathan is a true student-athlete who excels in every facet of college life," said head track and field coach Mike Owens. "He has already been chosen to be the captain of the 2016 Cross Country Team."

In cross country, Jones has been a formidable runner for the Lions since his freshman year, making the NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region team twice in his career. At the close of the 2015 season, Jones was named to the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association All-Region team after his 11^th place finish at the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional meet, where he clocked a time of 33:50 in the 10k race. In addition to being the South Atlantic Conference Freshman Runner of the Year, Jones has also earned First Team All-Conference honors twice, is a member of the back-to-back Conference Champion teams, the 2014 Regional Champion team and has qualified to the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships for two consecutive seasons. Jones is the current runner-up for the program's 10k record after crossing the line at 30:57.20 at the 2015 National meet.

In track, Jones placed second in the 10K at the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship with a time of 31:34. He also placed fifth at the Championship with a time of 15:34 in the 5K event.  Jones claimed a first-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in his season-opening event as he clocked in at 9:55.72.

Jones has also given his time for numerous causes on the Mars Hill campus. During his freshman year, Jones was a volunteer for the Bailey Mountain Conservation Society and was a member of the Campus Beautification Project, both of which strive to achieve goals of sustainability. A member of the Campus Activities Board, Jones donated five hours per week on the year in addition to his work as a math tutor in both the math labs and math center, where six hours a week were given to both. For the last two years he has been a member for the Ethics Bowl Debate Team and has participated in the ongoing effort with the Animal Rescue Operation.