Six Hounds Selected to College Sports Communicators Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-District
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian University seniors Meghan Myers, Tara Smurla and Karalyn Vashey, juniors Rachele Grigoli and sophomores Jessica Heydt and Emma Shafnisky and have been selected to the 2026 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Women’s Track & Field and Cross Country Team for NCAA Division III schools.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian University seniors Meghan Myers, Tara Smurla and Karalyn Vashey, juniors Rachele Grigoli and sophomores Jessica Heydt and Emma Shafnisky and have been selected to the 2026 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Women's Track & Field and Cross Country Team for NCAA Division III schools.
To be eligible for CSC Academic All-America® honors, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.50 grade-point average, be a sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student and be ranked in the top 50 in the school's region in a track event or have finished in the top 50 at the NCAA Division III cross country regional for the program.
By making the All-District Team, the group is now forwarded onto the national ballot to try for CSC Academic All-America® accolades, which will be announced Wednesday, July 15. Moravian has had 56 Greyhounds named CSC Academic All-Americans®.
Myers, a nursing major with a 4.00 grade-point average, finished 13th in the NCAA Division III Metro Region Cross Country Championships in a time of 22:28.8 to earn All-Region honors. Myers was ninth in the region in the 10,000-meter run outdoors in 39:41.71, 13th in the 5,000-meter run outdoors in 18:03.92 and ninth in the 5,000-meter run indoors in 18:24.24. Myers earned a spot on the 2025 Landmark All-Conference Women's Cross Country First Team. Myers has been a member of the Moravian Dean's Honors List seven times, Moravian's Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society, a six-time member of the Landmark Conference Winter/Spring Academic Honor Roll and a three-time member of the Landmark Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Smurla, an elementary education and special education major with a 3.64 grade-point average, won the Metro Region Cross Country Championships for a second straight year in a time of 21:11.4 to earn All-Region honors and she was 182nd at the 2025 NCAA Division III National Championships in 23:21.4. Smurla was second in the 10,000-meter run outdoors in 35:15.92, sixth in the 5,000-meter run outdoors in 17:42.45, 14th in the 1,500-meter run outdoors in 4:49.62. 47th in the 800-meter run outdoors in 2:26.34, third in the 3,00-meter run indoors in 9:55.02, fourth in the 5,000-meter run indoors in 17:24.56, ninth in the mile run indoors in 5:07.94 and 25th in the 800-meter run indoors in 2:26.35. Smurla, who was a 2024 All-America in cross country with a 29th place finish, earned a spot on the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 Landmark All-Conference Women's Cross Country First Team as well as the 2022 Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year and 2025 Landmark Conference Performer of the Year, and she is a six-time Landmark Conference Champion on the track, a five-time member of the Landmark All-Conference Second Team and a Landmark Conference Honorable Mention selection once. Smurla has been a member of the Moravian Dean's Honors List six times, Moravian's Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society, a six-time member of the Landmark Conference Winter/Spring Academic Honor Roll and a three-time member of the Landmark Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Vashey, an accounting major with a minor in forensic auditing and a 3.60 grade-point average, was first in the Metro Region in the 20-pound weight throw indoors at 17.19 meters (56-4.75), and she was a Second Team All-American in the event this season. Vashey was also 13th in the shot put indoors at 11.69 meters (38-4.25), eight in the hammer throw outdoors at 44.37 meters (145-7), 19th in the shot put outdoors at 11.42 meters (37-5.75) and 15th in the discus outdoors at 37.51 meters (123-1). Vashey won the 2026 Landmark Conference Indoor Championship in the weight throw, and she was the champion in the event in 2025 and the runner-up in 2024 for Landmark All-Conference Second Team accolades. Vashey has been a member of the Moravian Dean's Honors List six times, Moravian's Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society and a six-time member of the Landmark Conference Winter/Spring Academic Honor Roll.
Grigoli, a graphic and interactive design major with a minor in computer science and a 3.80 grade-point average, was 19th in the Metro Region in the 400-meter dash indoors in 1:00.05, 39th in the 200-meter dash in 26.77 seconds, seventh in the 4x400-meter relay indoors in 4:04.67, 21st in the 400-meter dash outdoors in 59.33 seconds, 30th in the 100-meter dash outdoors in 12.80 seconds and tenth in the 4x400-meter relay outdoors in 4:07.02. Grigoli made the 2026 Landmark All-Conference Honorable Mention in the 400-meter dash outdoors, and she is a three-time Landmark All-Conference Honorable Mention selection in relay events including the 4x400-meter relay twice and the 4x100-meter relay once. Grigoli has been a member of the Moravian Dean's Honors List six times, Moravian's Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society and a four-time member of the Landmark Conference Winter/Spring Academic Honor Roll.
Heydt, a chemistry major with a minor in women's gender & sexuality studies and a 3.76 grade-point average, was second in the Metro Region in the hammer throw outdoors at 49.82 meters (163-5), 49th in the shot put outdoors at 10.03 meters (32-11), fifth in the 20-pound weight throw indoors at 15.74 meters (51-7.75) and 43rd in the shot put outdoors at 9.71 meters (31-10.25. Heydt was the runner-up in the hammer throw at the 2026 Landmark Conference Outdoor Championships, and she is a two-time member of the Landmark All-Conference Second Team. Heydt has been a member of the Moravian Dean's Honors List four times and a two-time member of the Landmark Conference Winter/Spring Academic Honor Roll.
Shafnisky, a health sciences major on a pre-physical therapy track with a 3.52 grade-point average, was first in the Metro Region in the long jump outdoors at 5.72 meters (18-9.25), fourth in the 100-meter hurdles outdoors in 14.44 seconds, ninth in the 4x100-meter relay outdoors in 48.99 seconds, fifth in the long jump indoors at 5.42 meters (17-9.5) and sixth in the 60-meter hurdles indoors in 9.05 seconds. Shafnisky was the 2026 Landmark Conference Champion in the 100-meter hurdles outdoors and the 60-meter hurdles indoors, and she is an eight-time Landmark All-Conference honoree, making the First Team twice, the Second Team three times and the Honorable Mention squad three times. Shafnisky has been a member of the Moravian Dean's Honors List three times and a two-time member of the Landmark Conference Winter/Spring Academic Honor Roll.
To view the entire 2026 Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-District Teams, visit https://academicallamerica.com/documents/2026/6/23//26WTRACK_AAD_Announcement.pdf?id=5682.
