Two more student-athletes earn academic honors

Track and field star Jessica Burgeson and cross country runner John Tumbleston received all-district academic honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America Thursday, June 3. Details...

A standout for the Phoenix in both indoor track and outdoor track and field, Burgeson was named to the District III academic second team in women’s track and field and cross country in the university division. This is her second consecutive year on the all-district academic team.

Burgeson, a Burlington, N.C., native, lettered eight times and was a two-time team MVP. The team co-captain, who currently holds seven program records altogether, set new marks in both the 60-meter indoor hurdles (9.10 seconds) and the 100-meter outdoor hurdles (14.29 seconds) this year during her senior season.

In the classroom, Burgeson compiled a 3.78 cumulative grade-point average in sports medicine while landing on the Academic All-Southern Conference Team twice, the President’s List three times, the Dean’s List four times and the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll seven times. She graduated magna cum laude last month.

Tumbleston, a sophomore from Boone, N.C., was named to the district academic squad in men’s track and field and cross country in the university division.

On the cross country squad last fall, Tumbleston emerged as the Phoenix’s top finisher in one race and second-best finisher in the team’s other seven races. His personal best time of 25:24 for the 8,000-meter distance, set last fall, ranks as the second-best performance in the 11-year-old history of the program. Tumbleston was also named the recipient of his team’s 2003 Sportsmanship Award.

In the classroom, the science education major has a 3.99 cumulative grade-point average at Elon while appearing on both the President’s List and the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll four times each. He is also a member of the Academic All-Southern Conference Team and Elon’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

Tumbleston is now eligible for consideration for the CoSIDA Academic All-America team, which will be announced June 22. He and Burgeson become the third and fourth Elon athletes to earn academic all-district status in the last three weeks.