Sydney Thompson, a spring graduate of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, was chosen as the NCAA Division III Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Scholar Field Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Thompson, who graduated in May with a 3.915 cumulative grade-point average, is the fourth Titan to be named a USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Scholar-Athlete of the Year in women’s outdoor track and field. Previous UW Oshkosh award winners were Terri Schwamb in 2007 (track and field), Holly Ozanich in 2010 (field) and Christy Cazzola in both 2013 (track) and 2014 (track).

Last May, the USTFCCCA selected Thompson as its Co-Field Performer of the Meet at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship held in Greensboro, N.C.

Thompson threw to victories in both the discus and shot put competitions while finishing ninth at the championship in the hammer throw. She was seeded third in the discus and won the event with a season-best measurement of 153-4. Thompson entered the shot put activity as the top seed and won the event with a season-best distance of 49-11 3/4. She finished ninth in the hammer throw with a measurement of 165-3.

Thompson was also named Field Performer of the Meet at the WIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship held May 7-8 in River Falls. She took first place in both the discus (153-0) and shot put (48-10 3/4) events at the meet while finishing fifth in the hammer throw (165-8).

Thompson was an indoor track & field letterwinner for the Titans in 2020 and 2021 and an outdoor track & field letterwinner in 2021. She was a fifth-place finisher in the shot put (43-5) at the 2020 WIAC Indoor Track & Field Championship.

This past indoor season Thompson ranked second nationally in the shot put (46-3 1/4) and sixth in the 20-pound weight throw (55-5 1/2).

Thompson, a 2017 Mercer High School graduate, transferred to UWO from NCAA Division II Minnesota State University, Mankato following the 2018-19 academic year.

Thompson’s two seasons at Minnesota State University, Mankato featured third-place finishes in both the discus (148-9) and shot put (46-7 1/4) events at the 2018 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship.

Thompson, a finance major, was named the 2021 winner of the UWO Phyllis Roney Senior Coaches Award. She was also voted to the 2021 NCAA Division III Academic All-District 6 Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Thompson was a member of the UWO dean’s list four times and the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll twice. She is employed as a para-planner for Mersberger Financial Group in Sheboygan Falls.

Titan All-Academic honors

In addition to Thompson, UWO had nine other women gain All-Academic honors from the USTFCCCA. Awards were also presented to Michaela Barrette, Taya Fleischman, Morgan Florek, Katie Fruth, Vanessa Jenneman, Riley Kindt, Hannah Lohrenz, Alexandria Steger and Emma Warr.

The USTFCCCA honored more than 650 student-athletes for their academic and athletic accomplishments, including Florek, Thompson and Warr who were recognized for the second straight year. Steger was a member of the 2019 All-Academic Team.

Barrette, a junior, owns a 3.329 cumulative grade-point average as a nursing major. She finished eighth in the discus (136-3) at the WIAC Outdoor Championship. Barrette ranked 27th nationally in the discus (140-4) during the outdoor season.

Fleischman, a senior, possesses a 3.331 GPA as a sociology major. She finished ninth in the shot put (41-10 3/4) and 11th in the discus (126-0) at the WIAC Outdoor Championship. Fleischman ranked 42nd nationally in the shot put (39-11 1/4) during the indoor season and 44th (41-10 3/4) outdoors

Florek, a junior, holds a 3.807 GPA as an education major. She earned All-America honors with her fifth-place measurement of 141-1 in the discus at the Division III Outdoor Championship. She also finished 17th at the national outdoor meet in the shot put (41-7). Florek additionally placed fifth in the discus (147-9) and sixth in both the shot put (44-5 1/4) and hammer throw (160-0) at the WIAC Outdoor Championship. She ranked ninth nationally in the shot put (44-2 3/4) and 12th in the 20-pound weight throw (54-2 3/4) during the indoor season and 42nd nationally in the hammer throw (160-0) outdoors.

Fruth, a sophomore, has a 3.938 GPA as a major in nursing. She finished ninth in the javelin (106-9) at the WIAC Outdoor Championship. During the indoor season she ranked 26th nationally in the shot put (41-4 1/4).

Jenneman, a freshman, owns a 3.908 cumulative grade-point average as an exercise and sport science major. She finished 16th in both the 200-meter dash (26.22 seconds) and 400-meter run (1:01.974) while placing fifth in the 1,600-meter relay (4:04.78) at the WIAC Outdoor Championship. Jenneman ranked 20th nationally in the long jump (18-0 1/4), 17th in the distance medley relay (12:38.41) and 22nd in the 1,600-meter relay (4:02.52) during the indoor season.

Kindt, a freshman, possesses a 3.930 GPA as a nursing major. She finished third in the high jump (5-2 1/2) and seventh in the 100-meter hurdles (14.79) while placing second in the 400-meter relay (48.47 seconds) at the WIAC Outdoor Championship. Kindt ranked fourth nationally in the high jump (5-5 3/4), 15th in the 60-meter hurdles (8.96) and 21st in the triple jump (36-9) during the indoor season and 19th nationally in the high jump (5-6) and 32nd in the 100-meter hurdles (14.73) outdoors.

Lohrenz, a junior, holds a 3.414 GPA as an interactive web management major. She finished fifth in the 1,500-meter run (4:36.31) and ninth in the 800-meter run (2:24.15) at the WIAC Outdoor Championship. During the indoor season she ranked 15th nationally in the mile run (5:06.31), 31st in the 800-meter run (2:19.84), 50th in the 3,000-meter run (10:39.01) and 17th in the distance medley relay (12:38.41).

Steger, a senior, has a 3.447 GPA as a nursing major. She finished fourth in the javelin (120-11) at the WIAC Outdoor Championship. During the outdoor season she ranked 48th nationally in the javelin (124-1).

Warr, a sophomore, owns a 3.940 GPA as a biology major. She ranked first nationally in the pole vault (12-1 1/2) during the indoor season and 23rd (11-10 1/2) outdoors.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA’s Track & Field All-Academic Team, student-athletes must own a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 and have either competed in an NCAA Indoor or Outdoor Championship or finished the regular season ranked in the national top 50 of an individual event or in the national top 35 of a relay event on the official NCAA Descending Order list.

UW-La Crosse led Division III with 31 All-Academic award winners. UW-Eau Claire followed the Eagles with 29 honorees while Wartburg College (Iowa) had 20, Nebraska Wesleyan University 18 and Washington University in St. Louis (Missouri) 17.

UWO and its seven other WIAC colleagues combined for 99 All-Academic selections.

The USTFCCCA chose Bailey Forsyth of Pacific Lutheran University (Washington) as its NCAA Division III Women’s Outdoor Track and Field National Scholar Track Athlete of the Year.

In the team category, UWO was among 213 schools recognized for earning a GPA of 3.10 or higher. Head coach Justin Kinseth’s Titans compiled a 3.38 GPA during the 2020-21 school year to become an USTFCCCA All-Academic Team member for the second straight year and eighth time since 2011.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the cancellation of the indoor national championship, the USTFCCCA didn’t present awards for the NCAA Division III Women’s Indoor Track & Field National Scholar Team and Athletes of the Year.