IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's track & field has been named a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, while three Anteaters earned individual honors as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
 
The 'Eaters received their 10th team recognition in the last 14 years. To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, programs must carry a cumulative team grade-point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
 
Sameen Andar, Hannah Chau and Evelin Meza were also named USTFCCCA All-Academic Athletes.
 
Andar had a breakout sophomore campaign as she was the Big West champion and an NCAA West Preliminary qualifier in the 10,000-meter. She won the conference title in a meet-record 33:44.80 before finishing 18th in a personal-best 33:20.89 at regionals. That time ranks second in program history. Earlier in the season, Andar broke a 37-year old school record in the 5,000m at the Steve Scott Invitational where she clocked in at 16:13.12. She was also an All-Big West performer in the 5K. Andar is majoring in biological sciences.
 
Chau scored in three events at the Big West Championships. She earned her fourth career All-Big West award with a third-place finish in the steeple, while also taking fifth in the 5K and seventh in the 10K. At the UCSB Invitational, she shattered her own school record and won the steeplechase with a time of 10:20.11. Chau also moved up to No. 3 in program history in the 5K (16:19.73) and sixth in the 10K (34:30.59). She recently graduated with a master's degree in demographic and social analysis.
 
Meza was a Big West scorer and NCAA West Preliminary qualifier in the 10K. She ran a personal-record 34:07.28 at the Bryan Clay Invitational to rank fifth in school history. Meza also set lifetime bests in the 5K (16:54.59) and the 1500m (4:32.29). She recently graduated with a master's degree in public policy.
 
To qualify for USTFCCCA All-Academic honors, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 and have completed at least two semesters or three quarters at their current institution. They also must have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships or have finished the indoor season ranked in the top 96 in any championship individual event.