Illinois Springfield track & field student-athlete Madelyn Miller-Ross earned 2026 USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Women's Track & Field All-Academic Athlete honors, while both Prairie Star track & field programs were recognized as USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams for their success in the classroom during the 2025-26 academic year.

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) annually recognizes student-athletes and teams that excel both academically and athletically.

Miller-Ross earned individual All-Academic distinction by maintaining at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA while also meeting the organization's athletic performance standards. Student-athletes must finish among the top performers nationally or qualify for NCAA Championship competition to be eligible for the award.

Miller-Ross adds another honor to an outstanding senior campaign. Earlier this year, she was named a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American and earned GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in both women's cross country and women's track & field. Throughout her career, she collected numerous academic awards while also excelling in competition, highlighted by three GLVC championships during her senior season.

As a team, the UIS men's and women's programs both earned All-Academic Team recognition by posting cumulative grade-point averages above USTFCCCA's 3.00 requirement.

The UIS men's track & field team recorded a 3.67 team GPA, the highest among all NCAA Division II men's track & field programs recognized by USTFCCCA. The Prairie Stars led a national list that included Florida Southern and Missouri S&T, the only other Division II men's programs to post GPAs above 3.60.

The UIS women's track & field team posted a 3.73 team GPA, ranking third among NCAA Division II programs. Only Lincoln Memorial and Augustana (S.D.) finished with higher team GPAs.

The USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award is based on the cumulative GPA of all student-athletes listed on an institution's NCAA indoor and outdoor track & field squad lists.