AMES, Iowa - Iowa State standout Lisa Koll has been named the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year winner for track & field/cross country. It is the second-straight year Koll has been named to the Academic All-America Team and the first time she has earned the top national award for her sport. Koll was honored as the 2008 Athlete-Scholar of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
“Lisa is just a great representative for Iowa State athletically and academically,” ISU head coach Corey Ihmels said. “Each year she comes in with high goals athletically and academically and continues to excel (at both). It’s not only a tribute to her hard work, but the academic support the university provides our student-athletes. Lisa is a great torch bearer for our school.”
The Fort Dodge, native was a 2009 All-American in the 10,000-meter run. Koll won both the 5,000-meter and the 10,000-meter races at the 2009 Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships and was the meet’s Outstanding Performer of the Year. Koll’s 10,000-meter win marked her third-straight league title in the event. The five-time Big 12 champion is a four-time All-American. She is the second track & field athlete from the Big 12 to win the national award, following Janet Blomstedt of Nebraska in the league’s first season (1996-97). Overall, 17 student-athletes from the Big 12 have earned national Academic All-America of the Year honors for their sports.
In 2008, Koll was the NCAA Division I champion in the 10,000-meter run. The owner of the American Collegiate record in that race (32.11.13), she finished ninth in the 10,000-meter run at the 2009 NCAA Championship meet.
Now working toward a degree in Veterinary Medicine, Koll graduated from Iowa State with a bachelor’s degree in biology in just three years. She had a 3.98 GPA as an undergraduate.
To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
For more information about the Academic All-America teams program, please visit www.cosida.com.
