About the NCAA Elite 90 Award


ALLENDALE, Mich. – It was a historic moment for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference during day two of the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships as Cedarville's Rachel Sweeney was presented with the prestigious Elite 90 Award prior to her race on Friday.
 
Sweeney was officially announced as the winner before the 3K steeplechase finals, an event that had three different qualifiers from the conference competing.
 
She is officially the first student-athlete from the Great Midwest to win the highly-acclaimed athletic/academic honor in the league's nearly complete nine-year history.
 
Sweeney, a senior, made a strong push for nationals with a provisional qualifying performance less than two weeks ago at the Rocket Invitational, a 'last chance' type of event in Toledo conducted after the conference championship meet.  
 
She was one of five different runners from the Great Midwest to post a provisional time in the spring outdoor season in the 3K steeplechase.
 
Sweeney has a 4.0 GPA while majoring in Pharmaceutical Science and she would finish 13th in her first nationals outdoor appearance last night with a time of 10:56.24.
 
Sweeney is from Xenia, Ohio, and went to high school at Legacy Christian Academy. She is also a member of the Yellow Jackets' cross country program and earned all-conference honors as both a sophomore and junior.
 
The ELITE 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 90 championships.