AUSTIN, Texas - Fort Hays State men's track and field junior pole vaulter Ryan Stanley was named a CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team selection in Track and Field/Cross Country, announced Wednesday by the organization.
Stanley was one of 15 men's student-athletes named to the first team and one of 45 overall to receive the Academic All-America distinction from CoSIDA in 2020-21. Sports Information and Athletic Communication professionals nationwide select the Academic All-America Team, which honors a combination of academic and athletic accomplishments of the individuals selected.
Stanley, native of Bennington, holds a 3.97 GPA as a management major at FHSU. This is his first time receiving Academic All-America status from CoSIDA. He is also a three-time recipient of the USTFCCCA All-Academic Award and a three-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll. Holding a perfect 4.0 GPA over his first two years at FHSU, he twice received the MIAA Academic Excellence Award. He also earned MIAA Scholar-Athlete honors in 2021 for securing All-MIAA honors and holding at least a 3.5 GPA.
Stanley is one of the elite performers in NCAA Division II in track and field. He was the NCAA Division II National Champion during the 2021 outdoor season in the pole vault. He cleared a new school record 17 feet, 2.75 inches to tie for first place. He then cleared the height again to win a jump off for the national title against Trivett Jones of Angelo State (Texas). Stanley is now a four-time All-America performer produced two of the four this past academic year. He is a two-time All-America performer in the pole vault both indoor and outdoor. He is also a four-time USTFCCCA All-Region performer going back to 2019. Stanley set new FHSU records in the pole vault both outdoor and indoor (16 feet, 11.5 inches) in 2021.
Stanley is the first CoSIDA Academic All-America selection for track and field/cross country at Fort Hays State since pole vaulter Brady Tien earned the honor in 2015.