Eight Anteaters Garner USTFCCCA All-Academic Distinction
July 20, 2026 | Women's Track & Field
IRVINE, Calif. β Back-to-back Big West Champion UC Irvine women's track & field has been named a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, while eight Anteaters earned individual all-academic honors as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
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The 'Eaters received the team recognition for the sixth consecutive year.Β To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, programs must carry a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.
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DeAna Davis, Jazzmine Davis, Esmeray Demirbas, Emma Hadley, Aoife Hernon, Giselle Rodriguez, Kaia Schmidt, and Zharia Taylor also garnered USTFCCCA All-Academic distinction. It is the second career award for D. Davis, J. Davis, and Taylor, while Demirbas, Hadley, Hernon, Rodriguez, and Schmidt are first-time honorees.
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To qualify for USTFCCCA All-Academic honors, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA 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.
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Senior DeAna Davis qualified for the NCAA West First Round in the hammer throw. She also earned All-Big West honors with a third-place finish at the conference championships. During the regular season, Davis established a personal-record 58.67 meters (192-6) to rank second in school history.
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Senior Jazzmine Davis advanced to the quarterfinals of the 100m hurdles at the NCAA West First Round in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was also a Big West champion in the 4x100 relay, silver medalist in the 100H, and bronze medalist in the heptathlon. Davis finished the year ranked second in program history in the 100H (13.36) and fourth in the heptathlon (5,532).
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Senior Esmeray Demirbas was an NCAA West First Round qualifier and Big West runner-up in the 400m hurdles. She earned three individual victories during the regular season and registered a season-best 58.17. Demirbas was also a member of UCI's school-record breaking 4x400 at the Mt. SAC Relays (3:39.01).
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Junior Emma Hadley was the Big West champion and made her first career NCAA West First Round appearance in the 1500m. She clocked a personal-record 4:17.97 in an individual victory at the Steve Scott Invitational. Hadley ranks fourth on UC Irvine's all-time charts in the 1500m and sixth in the 800m.
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Graduate student Aoife Hernon competed on the Anteaters' 4x100 relay team at the NCAA West First Round. At the Big West Championships, she took second in the 400m and third in the 4x400. In the 400m conference final, she broke the school record for a third time, crossing the finish line in 53.61. Hernon was also a member of the 4x400 that ran a program-best 3:39.01 at the Mt. SAC Relays. Hernon was named UCI's Big West Female Scholar Athlete of the Year.
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Junior Giselle Rodriguez was an NCAA West First Round qualifier and the Big West runner-up in the javelin. She unleashed a lifetime-best 48.38m (158-8) to win the event at the Vince O'Boyle Classic. That mark ranked second in school history.
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Junior Kaia Schmidt was the Big West champion in the steeplechase. She punched her ticket to the NCAA West First Round with a personal and school-record 10:16.88 in an individual victory at the Triton Invitational. Schmidt was also a conference scorer in the 5000m with a PR 16:53.20. She closed out the year ranked among the Anteaters' all-time top-10 in the steeple (1st), 1500m (7th), 800m (10th), and 5K (10th).
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Senior Zharia Taylor won the high jump at the Big West Championships with a season-best 1.78m (5-10). That height earned her a return trip to the NCAA West First Round. Taylor won five of her eight high jump competitions on the year. In addition, she was a conference scorer in the heptathlon where she was fourth with a PR 5,384 points, which ranks among the top-five in school history.
Β
The 'Eaters received the team recognition for the sixth consecutive year.Β To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, programs must carry a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.
Β
DeAna Davis, Jazzmine Davis, Esmeray Demirbas, Emma Hadley, Aoife Hernon, Giselle Rodriguez, Kaia Schmidt, and Zharia Taylor also garnered USTFCCCA All-Academic distinction. It is the second career award for D. Davis, J. Davis, and Taylor, while Demirbas, Hadley, Hernon, Rodriguez, and Schmidt are first-time honorees.
Β
To qualify for USTFCCCA All-Academic honors, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA 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.
Β
Senior DeAna Davis qualified for the NCAA West First Round in the hammer throw. She also earned All-Big West honors with a third-place finish at the conference championships. During the regular season, Davis established a personal-record 58.67 meters (192-6) to rank second in school history.
Β
Senior Jazzmine Davis advanced to the quarterfinals of the 100m hurdles at the NCAA West First Round in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was also a Big West champion in the 4x100 relay, silver medalist in the 100H, and bronze medalist in the heptathlon. Davis finished the year ranked second in program history in the 100H (13.36) and fourth in the heptathlon (5,532).
Β
Senior Esmeray Demirbas was an NCAA West First Round qualifier and Big West runner-up in the 400m hurdles. She earned three individual victories during the regular season and registered a season-best 58.17. Demirbas was also a member of UCI's school-record breaking 4x400 at the Mt. SAC Relays (3:39.01).
Β
Junior Emma Hadley was the Big West champion and made her first career NCAA West First Round appearance in the 1500m. She clocked a personal-record 4:17.97 in an individual victory at the Steve Scott Invitational. Hadley ranks fourth on UC Irvine's all-time charts in the 1500m and sixth in the 800m.
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Graduate student Aoife Hernon competed on the Anteaters' 4x100 relay team at the NCAA West First Round. At the Big West Championships, she took second in the 400m and third in the 4x400. In the 400m conference final, she broke the school record for a third time, crossing the finish line in 53.61. Hernon was also a member of the 4x400 that ran a program-best 3:39.01 at the Mt. SAC Relays. Hernon was named UCI's Big West Female Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Β
Junior Giselle Rodriguez was an NCAA West First Round qualifier and the Big West runner-up in the javelin. She unleashed a lifetime-best 48.38m (158-8) to win the event at the Vince O'Boyle Classic. That mark ranked second in school history.
Β
Junior Kaia Schmidt was the Big West champion in the steeplechase. She punched her ticket to the NCAA West First Round with a personal and school-record 10:16.88 in an individual victory at the Triton Invitational. Schmidt was also a conference scorer in the 5000m with a PR 16:53.20. She closed out the year ranked among the Anteaters' all-time top-10 in the steeple (1st), 1500m (7th), 800m (10th), and 5K (10th).
Β
Senior Zharia Taylor won the high jump at the Big West Championships with a season-best 1.78m (5-10). That height earned her a return trip to the NCAA West First Round. Taylor won five of her eight high jump competitions on the year. In addition, she was a conference scorer in the heptathlon where she was fourth with a PR 5,384 points, which ranks among the top-five in school history.
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Heptathlon/Hurdles
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints/Hurdles/Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Javelin
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Heptathlon/High Jump
/ Women's Track & FieldWednesday, June 24
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