University of Illinois Springfield cross country and track runners Taryn Christy and Blake Jones were both named Academic All-Americans on Wednesday. Christy was a first-team selection, while Jones was named to the third-team.
 
Christy is the first student-athlete in UIS athletics history to earn multiple Academic All-American selections. Last season, she was a third-team honoree.
 
Christy was crowned the GLVC Champion in the outdoor 10,000m this past season. She also advanced to the NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships in that event and was a second-team All-American after finishing 11th in that event. During the shortened cross country season, Christy earned all-GLVC honors after finishing third at the competition. She finished third or better in six of her eight races in 2020-21.
 
Jones was named an Academic All-American for the first time. This is the second straight year that a men's cross country and track runner earned the honor, after Tyler Pasley was a third-team Academic All-American in 2019-20.
 
Jones was a two-time All-American and three-time GLVC Champion during 2020-21. He dominated the cross country season, including being the first Prairie Star runner to win the GLVC Championships. During the indoor track season, he qualified for the indoor national championships, and was a second-team All-American with a 12th-place showing. His outdoor accolades include being named the GLVC Runner of the Year after winning the 1,500m and 5,000m at the conference meet. He qualified for nationals in two outdoor events. He was a first-team All-American with a third-place finish in the 5,000m, and finished 12th in the 10,000m. Jones won a total six races throughout the past school year.
 
The Academic All-American program recognizes the top student-athletes in the nation who excel on the playing field and in the classrooms. UIS has now had 10 athletes earn NCAA Division II Academic All-American accolades over the last three school years.