AUSTIN, Texas - A pair of student-athletes from the Fort Hays State women's track and field team have been named to the 2022-23 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Teams, announced Wednesday (June 28) by the national organization. Mattie Rossi was named second team Academic All-America, while Addie Berens was a third team Academic All-America selection.
 
Sports Information and Athletic Communication professionals nationwide vote on the Academic All-America Team, which reflects both academic and athletic accomplishments of the individuals selected.
 
Rossi added three All-American honors and four All-MIAA medals to her trophy case this season, giving her nine All-American honors and seven All-MIAA recognitions in her career. She lifted a pair of All-American trophies outdoors, placing third in the 400m hurdles and sixth in the heptathlon at the 2023 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships after earning second team All-American honors with a 10th-place finish in the pentathlon indoors.
 
The Yampa, Colo. native wrapped up her career with seven school records, including five individual marks and two relays. She earned a trio of All-Region honors this season, bringing her career total to eight. Now a five-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award recipient, Rossi earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural business with a GPA of 3.73 before finishing the MBA program this spring with a 3.90 GPA.
 
Berens earned her third All-American honor this spring, placing seventh in the javelin throw at the 2023 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships. She is also a three-time All-MIAA honoree, finishing second in the league as a sophomore while placing third as a freshman and a junior. Her season-best toss of 154-8 (47.14m) was eighth-best in Division II this season and ranks seventh-best in program history. The Tampa, Kan. native is a three-time USTFCCCA All-Region pick and earned her third MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award this season. Berens maintains a 3.77 GPA as an elementary education major.
 
Fort Hays State was one of 13 NCAA Division II institutions with multiple women's track and field/cross country Academic All-Americans this year. It is just the second time multiple student-athletes from the same team have earned Academic All-American status in school history (1997 football).
 
The duo are the eighth and ninth Academic All-Americans from FHSU women's track and field/cross country, and the first since Makayla McPhail in 2013. The team is now tied with women's basketball for the third-most Academic All-Americans in school history (football 18, baseball 10).
 
Fort Hays State has now seen six Tiger student-athletes earn Academic All-America honors this season, the most in a single academic year in school history. Other Tigers earning the honor this season were Alex Schremmer (football), Isabel Robben (women's soccer), Ed Scott (baseball) and Morgan Brasser (women's golf).