NEW ORLEANS – NM State Track and Field has been named to the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team for the 2015-16 season. Additionally, freshman Kimberly Salinas was named to the individual All-Academic team by the organization.
 
"In addition to Kim Salinas being named to the individual USATFCCCA All-Academic Team, we are proud of the entire Women's Outdoor Track and Field Team for, again, making the standard to be included as an All-Academic Team in Division I of the NCAA," said assistant coach Larry Carmichael. "We continue to strive for excellence in the classroom as well as on the field."
 
Teams must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 to receive this honor. NM State posted a 3.25 team GPA for the 2015-16 season. In total, there were 122 men's teams and 220 women's teams honored by the organization.
 
Salinas, a native of Las Cruces, N.M., finished her first season at NM State with a 3.54 GPA. In addition, she competed in the NCAA West Preliminary Round in the Javelin and finished with a mark of 41.39m (135 ft. 9 in.). She qualified for the NCAA Preliminary Rounds by the winning the Western Athletic Conference championship in the Javelin with a mark of 46.13m (151 ft. 4 in.).
 
To qualify for this honor, student-athletes must have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and have either finished the indoor track and field season ranked in the top 96 in an individual event, the top 48 in a relay event or have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Championships, including preliminary rounds, in the outdoor season.
 
A total of 910 student-athletes from 192 institutions earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors for the 2015-16 season.