Layng Named NCAA Elite 89 Award Winner for Men's Outdoor Track & Field
CLAREMONT, Calif. --- Senior Timothy Layng of the Moravian College men’s outdoor track & field team has been named the NCAA Elite 89 award winner with the highest GPA at 3.95 among the 508 male entries at the 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships being hosted by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges in Claremont, California beginning Thursday.
CLAREMONT, Calif. --- Senior Timothy Layng (Canton, Pa./Canton HS) of the Moravian College men's outdoor track & field team has been named the NCAA Elite 89 award winner with the highest GPA at 3.95 among the 508 male entries at the 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships being hosted by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges in Claremont, California beginning Thursday.
The Elite 89 award, founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 89 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 89 championships.
All GPAs are based on a straight grading scale to ensure consistency among institutions. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed. Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling and competing at the championship.
Layng graduated back on Saturday, May 12 his Bachelor of Science degree in biology at Moravian.
Layng, one of six Moravian student-athletes at the NCAA Division III Championships this week, is looking to be an All-America for the second time this season after placing seventh in the pole vault at the 2012 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships. Layng enters the meet tied for eighth in the nation at a school record height of 5.00 meters (16 feet, 4 ¾ inches). Layng is scheduled to compete on Saturday at 6:55 p.m. EDT.
Layng received his award Wednesday night during the championship banquet and was honored along with fellow seniors Abby Schaffer (Easton, Pa./Easton HS) and Gary Zack (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood HS), who were both named the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division III Mideast Region Field Athletes of the Year. Moravian javelin coach Bob Luciano was also honored as the USTFCCCA Mideast Region Men's Assistant Coach of the Year.
Pictured - Gary Zack, Abby Schaffer & Timothy Layng after the awards banquet Wednesday night in Claremont, Calif.
