Halterman Named NAIA Women’s Track and Field and Cross Country Academic All-American of the Year While Three More Trojans Garner Academic All-American Status

CSC Release | TU Honors Page

UPLAND, Ind. – The CSC named its women's track and field and cross country Academic All-Americans, with Jaynie Halterman selected as the NAIA Academic All-American of the year and three other Trojans as Academic All-Americans.

Noel Bass, Addie Draper and Emersyn Funk join Halterman as CSC Academic All-Americans. Taylor matched Missouri Southern State University with the most CSC Academic All-Americans with both programs boasting four.

Halterman has accumulated a perfect 4.00 GPA throughout her philosophy and intercultural studies courseload. The sensational sophomore continued her tremendous collegiate career with a pair of Individual NAIA Championships. Halterman repeated as the NAIA Women's Cross Country Individual Champion before taking home the Individual Championship during the indoor track and field season in the 5,000-meters and earning NAIA All-American status in the distance medley relay. Halterman has accumulated six NAIA Individual Championships through two years at Taylor while maintaining a perfect GPA.

The Thompson's Station Tennessee native is joined by the University of Alabama's Doris Lemngole (NCAA D1), West Texas A&M University's Blessing Akintoye (NCAA D2) and Augustana (Ill.) College's Charlotte Frere (NCAA D3) as the four recipients of the award for the 2025-26 season.

Halterman's award comes a year after the last Trojan was recognized as a CSC Academic All-American of the Year, when Jameson Chesser collected the award after a phenomenal football season in 2024. Halterman follows Chesser, Matt Hall (men's track and cross country, 2017), Josh DeGraff (baseball, 2015), Amanda Roden (women's soccer, 2014) and Casey Coons (men's basketball, 2012) as the sixth Trojan to receive the distinguished accolade, becoming the first to do so for the TU women's track and field and cross country program.

Bass earned CSC First-Team Academic All-American status for a third-consecutive season with a pristine 3.97 GPA in her elementary education studies. The senior distance runner has had an incredible career at TU, picking up 13 NAIA All-American honors. The Petoskey, Michigan native was an NAIA All-American during the cross country season helping the Trojans to the National Championship and followed with appearances at the NAIA National Championships during both track seasons.

Draper repeated as a CSC Second-Team Academic All-American after posting an impeccable 3.99 GPA throughout her sustainable development classes. Draper has been stellar in the 800-meter race, competing at NAIA Nationals in the event the past two season and also being a key cog in the distance medley relay, which has collected NAIA All-American honors the past two seasons.

Funk was named a CSC Second-Team Academic All-American for the first time in her TU career after posting an impressive 3.98 GPA in her computer science-digital media courseload. The senior capped her career a TU as a top seven runner for the NAIA National Champion Trojans during the cross country season. Funk was a two-time NAIA All-American during her junior season as a part of a pair of relay teams and competed at NAIA Nationals during both the indoor and outdoor season as a senior.

Taylor Athletics continues to lead the NAIA with 163 CSC Academic All-American honors all-time. Of those 167 total honors, 165 have come since 2010. Halterman, Bass, Draper, and Funk's awards bring Taylor's total CSC Academic All-American honorees to 16 during the 2025-26 season.

The CSC Academic All-America program is designed to recognize student-athletes for outstanding achievements in the classroom and on the field. To receive the honor, an athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, must have reached sophomore status academically, and must have met the playing time criteria of playing in 90-percent, or starting in 66-percent of the team's games during the current season.

Honorees on the NAIA Academic All-American team were voted on by CSC members from a pool of CSC Academic All-District award winners.