Track athlete earns Academic All-District Team honors

Even though Eastern Mennonite’s Tyler Denlinger (Perkasie, Pa./Dock Mennonite Academy) stepped off the track for the final time last week, the senior’s awards have not stopped. Today Denlinger was named to the District V Academic All-District Team, as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

He is now eligible for CoSIDA’s Academic All-America voting.

Denlinger leaves Eastern Mennonite University as one of the best middle distance runners in program history. After taking down the EMU record in the 800m in his final race last week, Denlinger owns five program records, including the outdoor 1500m, indoor 1000m and mile, and 4x400m relay. He is a 12-time All-ODAC performer, along with ODAC Championships this year in the outdoor 800m and indoor 4x400m relay.

Academically, the biology (pre-med) major holds a 3.97 GPA and repeats his CoSIDA Academic All-District honors from 2015. He was voted as the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete five times between indoor and outdoor track seasons. Last month, Denlinger earned EMU’s highest honor for a student-athlete as the male recipient of the President’s Award.

Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Isaac Bryan, who joined the Royals in 2015, said Denlinger set himself apart with his work ethic.

“It was an honor to coach Tyler these past two years,” said Bryan. “I never had to question his dedication or level of motivation. Even on his ‘off’ days he gave it everything because he loves running and working hard. He’s talented but he got to where he is because he out-worked people.”

The criteria for the All-District program states that a player must be of sophomore academic standing, be a starter or important reserve and claim a GPA of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale. Eastern Mennonite is a member of District 5, which includes players from NCAA D-III institutions in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Denlinger was one of four men from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference honored on the ten-man team from District 5.

Click here to see the entire list of Academic All-District Track & Field/Cross Country Teams.

Denlinger becomes the fourth EMU student-athlete to be voted Academic All-District this year, joining Becca Hardy (Port Republic, Va./Eastern Mennonite) from women’s volleyball, Ryan Thomas (Telford, Pa./Dock Mennonite Academy) from men’s soccer and Joe Hall (Gladys, Va./Rustburg) from baseball. Hardy and Denlinger were the two recipients of EMU’s Presidents Award.

EMU’s track men are wrapping up the 2017 season at the NCAA National Championships this weekend in Geneva, Ohio, with Connor Faint (Winchester, Va./Millbrook) running in the 400m hurdles and Grant Amoateng (Bristow, Va./Patriot) participating in the triple jump.