GORHAM, Maine – Five members of the University of Southern Maine Huskies' women's track & field team have earned 2023-2024 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors. Earning the academic distinction were senior Olivia Jalbert (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little), juniors Jaigan Boudreau (Dayton, Maine/Thornton Academy) and Heaven Conley (Ogunquit, Maine/Wells), and sophomores Alexis Karantza (Westbrook, Maine) and Riley Reitchel (Palermo, Maine/Erskine Academy).
 
To be eligible for Academic All-District recognition, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically with a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher. They must also have a rank in the Top 50 in their region in a single event (XC, indoor or outdoor). Selected by College Sports Communicators, the Academic All-District teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in competition and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
 
Boudreau, a Finance major, earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region honors in the shot put during the 2023-24 indoor season and the 2024 outdoor season. She also earned All-Region honors in the discus for the outdoor season. Boudreau placed first in the weight throw at the 2024 Little East Conference Indoor Championships and placed second in the shot put. She also placed second at the 2024 LEC Outdoor Championships in both the shot put and the discus.
 
Conley earned All-LEC honors in five events highlighted by conference titles in the 400 meters and 4x400 relay at the indoor championships. She also placed second in the 200 meters at the indoor championship meets. Conley placed second individually in the 400 meters and with a 4x400 relay team at the LEC outdoor championships. She is majoring in Elementary Education.
 
Jalbert, an Exercise Science major, racked up a plethora of awards in 2023-2024, including three LEC titles. The senior was named the LEC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season after winning the conference titles in high jump and long jump. Jalbert stood on all three levels of the podium at the LEC outdoor championships, winning the gold in the high jump, silver in the long jump, and bronze in the triple jump. She earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors for the indoor long jump and the outdoor high jump. Jalbert was also named CSC Academic All-District following the 2022-2023 academic year and is a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete.
 
Karantza placed first in the 600 meters at the LEC indoor championships and also ran with Conley on the 4x400 relay team that claimed the conference title. The outdoor season saw her win another conference title, this time placing first in the 400-meter hurdles. She also ran on a 4x100 relay team that placed second at the outdoor conference championships. Karantza is majoring in Nursing.
 
Reitchel, a Linguistics major, won the pole vault title at the LEC indoor championships by clearing a personal-best height of 3.25m. She also ran with a 4x200 group that placed second at the indoor championship meet and placed fifth in the 200 meters. A USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete in 2022-2023, Reitchel also earned CSC Academic All-District as a member of the Southern Maine women's soccer team this past fall.