Michael Johnson's UTRGV Teammates Earn USTFCCCA All-Academic Awards

Michael Johnson's teammates at UTRGV have made a strong academic showing, earning All-Academic awards from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

**What happened?**

The USTFCCCA announced the All-Academic awards for the 2026 men's and women's track & field seasons, recognizing both programs representing The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) as All-Academic Teams. UTRGV had five men and four women named All-Academic Athletes, including teammates of Michael Johnson.

**Why it matters for Michael Johnson**

The All-Academic awards are a testament to the team's commitment to academic excellence, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better required for teams to reach All-Academic Team status. Student-athletes must meet athletic and academic criteria to reach All-Academic status, including finishing the indoor season ranked in the top 96 in an individual event or participating in the NCAA West or East preliminary championship competition.

**What comes next?**

The UTRGV track and field teams will look to build on their academic success, with a focus on continued athletic achievements. The team's All-Academic awards are a reflection of their hard work and dedication to both their studies and their sport.

The USTFCCCA All-Academic awards are a prestigious honor, recognizing the academic excellence of student-athletes in track and field. UTRGV's teams have made a strong showing, with five men and four women earning All-Academic Athlete status.

The UTRGV men's team included Alejandro Arellano, Aaron Cooper, Jefferson Jean, Daniel Siaffa, and Matic Vidmar, while the women's team included Efe Latham, Ashley Lingueno, Kaliyah Poston, and Treasure Vallerie. These student-athletes have demonstrated a commitment to both their athletic and academic pursuits.

The USTFCCCA All-Academic awards are a reflection of the team's dedication to academic excellence, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better required for teams to reach All-Academic Team status. Student-athletes must meet athletic and academic criteria to reach All-Academic status, including finishing the indoor season ranked in the top 96 in an individual event or participating in the NCAA West or East preliminary championship competition.

The UTRGV track and field teams will look to build on their academic success, with a focus on continued athletic achievements. The team's All-Academic awards are a reflection of their hard work and dedication to both their studies and their sport.

**Academic achievements**

The UTRGV men's team had a program-best 11 Vaqueros qualify for the NCAA West First Round during the outdoor season, with Jean, Siaffa, Vidmar, Latham, Lingueno, Poston, and Vallerie all participating. Cooper, Siaffa, Latham, and Poston also earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selections.

The UTRGV women's team had a strong showing, with Latham, Poston, and Lingueno making the Southland Conference Women's Track & Field All-Academic Team. Siaffa, Jean, and Arellano were named to the SLC Men's All-Academic Team.

**USTFCCCA All-Academic Athletes**

The USTFCCCA All-Academic Athletes for the 2026 men's and women's track & field seasons include:

* Men's team: Alejandro Arellano, Aaron Cooper, Jefferson Jean, Daniel Siaffa, and Matic Vidmar * Women's team: Efe Latham, Ashley Lingueno, Kaliyah Poston, and Treasure Vallerie

The UTRGV track and field teams have made a strong showing in the USTFCCCA All-Academic awards, with five men and four women earning All-Academic Athlete status. The team's commitment to academic excellence is a testament to their hard work and dedication to both their studies and their sport.