TOWSON, Md. – Towson University track & field sprinter and hurdler Shelby Francis was named to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic team that was announced on Monday afternoon.
 
In addition, thanks to their 3.28 grade point average, the Tigers were honored with the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Award.
 
In order to be eligible for the individual award, a student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale and must have either finished the season among the top 50 individuals in an event or been part of a top 35 relay team or have participated in the indoor or outdoor national championship meets.
 
902 women earned USTFCCA All-Academic honors during the 2018-19 seasons. Recipients must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 and finished the regular-season ranked in the top-96 (Individual) or Top-48(Relay) in an event, or participated in an NCAA Championships (Including preliminary rounds). 
 
In order to be in contention for Scholar Team of the Year, a program must finish highly at the respective national championship meet and have at least a 3.00 cumulative team GPA.
 
Francis, who won the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship in the 400-meter hurdles with a personal best time of 59.11 seconds, competed at the NCAA East Region Prelims in Jacksonville. She was third TU 400-meter hurdler and second consecutive in the event to compete at the NCAA East Region Prelims. In addition, Francis was a  member of school record and CAA champion 4 x 400-meter relay team (3:42.82).
 
She was fifth in the 100-meter hurdles at the CAA Championships (14.53). Francis won the 400-meter hurdles at the Doc Anderson Invitational and Towson Invitational, where she was also a member of the winning 4 x 400-meter relay team. She was second in the 400-meter hurdles and won the 100-meter hurdles at the Hopkins Loyola Invitational.
 
As a program, Towson finish second overall at the ECAC and CAA Championships during the outdoor season. The ECAC finish was the best in program history. Towson won nine events and established six school records during the two-day CAA) championship meet in May.
 
In addition, Michella Obijiaku and Hayley Horvath were named the CAA Female Field Performer and Rookie Of The Year, respectively. Francis along with Horvath, Obijiaku and Phontavia Sawyer represented Towson at the NCAA East Preliminaries. Sawyer, Horvath and Crystal Johnson also earned CAA weekly recognition during the outdoor season.
 
Obijiaku, who holds the British National Record in the hammer throw, and Horvath competed in major international events this summer.
 
Obijiaku won the shot put at the U23 Italian Individual Championships on Saturday, June 8 at the Stadio Raul Guidobaldi in Rieti, Italy and was ninth overall at the 2019 European Athletics under-23 Championships in Gävle, Sweden.
 
Horvath earned a silver medal in the pole vault competition at the 2019 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica. Horvath, Georgia Coleman and Kylie Anicic also competed in the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships in Miramar, Florida.
 
Abby Gauthier was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District Team.