New Orleans, La.----- San Jose State University distance runners Craig Huff, Jose Pina, and Jeanette Zambrano were named to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic team for the 2019 outdoor track season.
For Huff, Pina and Zambrano, they are two-time recipients of a USTFCCCA All-Academic team award. The three Spartans picked up their first award in 2018.
To qualify for the award, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 or higher on a 4.00 scale and competed in any round of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
"We are so proud of their accomplishments. What they have achieved is not easy," said Kendra Reimer-Gonzales, San Jose State University's director of track and field and cross country.
"It takes discipline, dedication, and sacrifice to be successful on and off the track. These student-athletes practiced excellence on a daily basis."
Huff, a senior from Huntington Beach, Calif., majoring in computer science, qualified for the NCAA Preliminary Round Championships in the 3000 meter steeplechase. He finished 18th in a field of 48 at the NCAA West Preliminary Round Championship meet in Sacramento. One of Huff's 2019 outdoor season highlights was winning the steeplechase at the Mountain West Championship in Fresno, Calif. He also moved up to #2 on the all-time San Jose State list in his specialty with a time of 8:47.52 at the Stanford Invitational in late March.
Pina, a junior from San Jose majoring in health science, finished 47th in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Preliminary Round Championships in Sacramento. Ranked #4 on the all-time school list in the 10,000, Pina ran a personal best of 29:12.11 at the Stanford Invitational on March 30, 2019.
One of the top distance runners in school history, Pina also moved up to #4 on the San Jose State list for the 5,000 meters with his 14:06.92 time at the Cardinal Classic hosted by Stanford on April 20.
Zambrano, a junior mathematics major and one of the women's program's most versatile distance runners, qualified for the NCAA Championships in the steeplechase and also raced in the 5,000 meters. Zambrano was 38th in the 5,000 meters and 31st in the steeplechase at the NCAA Preliminary Round Championships hosted by Sacramento State.
Her sixth-place finish in the steeplechase at the Mountain West Championship matched the best individual performance by a Spartan women's team member at the meet. Earlier in the season, she broke her school record in the steeplechase by more than 20 seconds with a 10:10.28 time at the Stanford Invitational.
"Congratulations to Craig, Jose and Jeanette for earning their scholar-athlete awards from the national track and field coaches association. Each of them was outstanding in competition last year, have been outstanding academically, and are very deserving of this recognition," said Marie Tuite, San Jose State University's athletics director.
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