LARAMIE, Wyo. – Wyoming senior Audra DeStefano has been named to the 2016-17 Academic All-District® Women’s Track and Cross Country First Team, CoSIDA announced on Thursday. DeStefano is one of 10 athletes to earn the honor in District VII. 

DeStefano, a native of Gillette, Wyo., is currently working toward her Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering at UW while utilizing her final year of eligibility on Wyoming’s track & field and cross country teams. She graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree last spring, earning a 3.82 cumulative GPA, before recording a perfect 4.0 GPA in her first semester of graduate school in the fall. She is one of three female graduate students in CoSIDA District VII to earn Academic All-District® honors for 2016-17.  

DeStefano has made her mark both in the classroom and on the track at Wyoming, winning the Mountain West individual championship in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 2016 while setting the UW record with a time of 10:07.35. Recently, DeStefano earned her fourth consecutive All-MW award in the event after finishing third in the steeplechase at the 2017 MW outdoor championships. Having also qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Round in the steeplechase for the fourth consecutive year, DeStefano will compete on Friday night for the chance to advance to the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

DeStefano will now be considered for the 2016-17 CoSIDA Academic All-America® First Team, Second Team or Third Team, which will be selected by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America next month. In order to qualify for CoSIDA Academic All-America® honors, an athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 on a four-point scale, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his or her institution, and be nominated by his or her sports information director. Former Cowgirl Catherine Cloetta was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Second Team in 2016.