University of Richmond Athletics
Women’s Track and Field Earns 24th Straight USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Honor
08/11/2026 | Women's Track & Field
RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond women's track and field program continued its tradition of excellence in the classroom as the Spiders earned NCAA Division I All-Academic Team honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for the 24th consecutive season, while senior Molly Wise earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete honors following a standout season on the runway and in the classroom.
Richmond posted a 3.51 cumulative team GPA during the 2025 season, extending one of the nation's longest active streaks of academic recognition while adding another successful year on the track.
"Our program is built on the expectation that our student-athletes will pursue excellence in every area of their lives," Director of Track & Field Lori Taylor said. "This team has embraced that challenge from day one. They competed at a high level throughout the season, supported one another every step of the way and remained committed to their academic responsibilities. We're incredibly proud of everything they accomplished."
The Spiders enjoyed standout indoor and outdoor campaigns, capturing Atlantic 10 Conference individual titles, setting program records and advancing to NCAA postseason competition.
Richmond's 24-year streak of USTFCCCA All-Academic Team recognition reflects the program's longstanding commitment to developing student-athletes who excel both competitively and academically.
"Consistency like this is the result of years of hard work from our student-athletes, coaches and campus partners," Taylor said. "Our athletes understand the value of earning a Richmond degree, and they take tremendous pride in representing the university in the classroom just as they do in competition."
Taylor also credited Richmond's faculty and academic support staff with helping student-athletes balance the demands of Division I athletics.
"We're fortunate to have outstanding professors and academic advisers who invest in our student-athletes' success," Taylor said. "Their support allows our athletes to challenge themselves academically while competing at the highest level. It's truly a collaborative effort."
Along with the team honor, senior Molly Wise was named a USTFCCCA NCAA Division I All-Academic Athlete following another outstanding season.
A psychology major on the pre-med track, Wise qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships East First Round after recording a season-best long jump of 6.24 meters (20-5.75) to win the Colonial Relays at William & Mary. The mark ranked seventh nationally at the time and remained among the nation's best throughout the outdoor season. She entered the NCAA East First Round ranked 34th nationally and finished 20th overall with a jump of 6.05 meters.
Wise also claimed the Atlantic 10 outdoor long jump title with a leap of 6.10 meters (20-0.25), earned multiple Atlantic 10 Athlete of the Week honors and closed her career as one of the most decorated jumpers in Spider history.
During the indoor season, Wise went undefeated in the long jump during the regular season. She opened the year with a winning mark of 6.22 meters (20-5) at the Liberty Kick Off before adding victories at the VCU Ram Indoor Invitational, Navy's Wesley A. Brown Invitational, Liberty Open, Penn State National Open, Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational and JDL Last Chance Invitational. She earned runner-up honors at the Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships.
To earn USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete recognition, student-athletes must maintain at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA while meeting national performance standards, including finishing among the top 96 nationally in an indoor event or qualifying for any round of the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
"Molly has been a tremendous ambassador for Richmond Track & Field throughout her career," Taylor said. "She has consistently demonstrated what it means to be a complete student-athlete. Her achievements on the runway speak for themselves, but what makes her truly special is the discipline, humility and commitment she brings to everything she does. She's left an incredible legacy for our program."
