Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Track & Field Places Four on Capital One Academic All-District Teams
5/30/2013 8:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
May 30, 2013
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Caroline Tolli (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) became Bucknell women's track and field's first-ever three-time Capital One Academic All-District winner having earned a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average and multiple athletic honors in her senior campaign, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced on Thursday. Also claiming Academic All-District honors for the first time in their careers were Emily Waksmunski (Carrolltown, Pa./Bishop Carroll), Leonard Joseph (Whitesboro, N.Y./Clinton) and Luke Webster (Pataskala, Ohio/Newark Catholic). All four Bison now advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America.
In order to be eligible for Academic All-District and All-America recognition, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore, maintain a minimum 3.30 cumulative GPA and be a starter or key reserve on his/her team. Academic All-America winners will be announced on June 27.
Tolli continued to make Bucknell history with her third selection to the Academic All-District Team. Entering the year she was already the seventh Bison in women's program history to receive multiple honors, but on Thursday became the first to be recognized in each of the three years in which she was eligible for the award. Earlier this spring, Tolli received the Alvin F. Jackson, Jr. Memorial Award, presented "for outstanding academic and athletic achievement and future promise as Bucknell alumni" at the 52nd Annual Bucknell Athletics Senior Recognition Dinner. She also became the first Bison in more than a decade to win two awards at the Bucknell senior awards dinner, adding the Christy Mathewson Award, presented to the top senior athletes.
Through the first seven semesters of her academic career, Tolli posted her perfect GPA while majoring in education and Spanish as well as minoring in Latin American Studies. Tolli has twice been voted the Patriot League Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She has also been named to the Bucknell Dean's List every term and earned seven selections to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and Academic All-Patriot League Team.
Athletically, Tolli broke more than one Bucknell record during the 2012-13 campaign. In the winter, she took over the program's No. 1 time in the mile (4:49.99) as well as the 1,000 meters (2:50.88) although her teammates' success bumped her to third in the 1,000 by the end of the season. During the outdoor campaign, Tolli broke the program standard in the 1,500 meters (4:25.55). By the end of the year, she also held top-10 times indoors in the 3,000 meters, distance medley relay and outdoors in the 4x800.
At the 2013 Patriot League Championships, Tolli won the mile indoors and the 4x800 outdoors, helping the Bison to team titles at both meets. Those two individual gold medals brought her career total to six.
Waksmunski earned her first selection to the Academic All-District Team, but the junior is no stranger to recognition for her success in the classroom. In the spring she earned her fifth career Academic All-Patriot League Team citation while carrying a 3.93 GPA as a civil engineering major. Her resume also includes recognition with the Alan J. Shepherd Scholarship from the Society of American Military Engineers. She has also been named to the Bucknell Dean's List and Patriot League Academic Honor Roll all five possible terms. During the fall 2012 semester, Waksmunski posted an impressive 4.0 GPA.
Like Tolli, Waksmunski was a member of the 4x800 relay that won the Patriot League title in the spring, giving her a gold medal in the event in each of the last two seasons. At the Patriot League Indoor Championships, she took second in the 4x800 and distance medley relays in addition to placing eighth in the mile. Waksmunski finished the year ranking in the top 10 all-time at Bucknell with two indoor and four outdoor 4x800 relays.
Joseph's spring just keeps getting better with his latest award. The senior, who has a 3.49 GPA in psychology, adds his first career nod to the Academic All-District Team to a list of accolades that also includes three career selections to the Academic All-Patriot League Team and four Bucknell Dean's List citations. A two-time member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, Joseph's studies at Bucknell also included independent research within the Psychology Department on psychological burnout.
Joseph graduated as one of the most decorated throwers in program history, yet his athletic career is not quite complete. He will compete at the NCAA Championship in the hammer throw next week in Eugene, Ore., for the second consecutive season, making him the first Bison since 1980-81 to qualify in back-to-back years.
The hammer throw has been Joseph's specialty through much of his career and this year is certainly no exception. He won a third straight Patriot League title in the event this spring, and with a fourth-place finish in the discus was named the Patriot League Field Athlete of the Meet. He followed that with a gold medal at the IC4A Championships, making him Bucknell's first-ever IC4A champion in the hammer. Earlier in the spring, Joseph set the Bucknell record in the hammer throw with a mark of 209-11. He eventually placed eighth at the NCAA East Preliminaries, earning him his spot at the national championship.
Indoors, Joseph won the weight throw at the IC4A Championships, moving back to the top of the podium after placing second at the Patriot League Championships. He ended the year with six gold medals in the event and never placed lower than third. At the end of the 2012-13 campaign, Joseph ranked second all-time at Bucknell in the weight throw (65-0 ¾) and third in the discus (168-1) in addition to his hammer record.
Webster's honors came with a 3.70 GPA while majoring in chemical engineering. The senior has been named to the Academic All-Patriot League Team three times in his career in addition to his six Bucknell Dean's List and three Patriot League Academic Honor Roll citations. A co-captain this past season, Webster has also served as a team representative for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Webster won his first career league title in the shot put this winter, taking gold with a school-record 55-8 ¼. He followed that up in the spring with a runner-up finish in the discus at the Patriot League Championships. His mark of 172-3 at the conference meet tied his career best and the school record, which he set earlier in the spring. Webster eventually qualified for the NCAA East Preliminaries for the first time, placing 36th in the discus to cap off his career.
With Joseph's and Webster's help, the Bucknell men claimed their fourth consecutive team title at the Patriot League Outdoor Championships. The Bison also placed second at the indoor championship meet.
Of the quartet, Joseph is the only one still active in competition. He will compete in the hammer throw at the NCAA Championship on June 6.
