By Tiffany Williams –
WORCESTER — WPI graduate student Avinash Bissoondial of Millbury, MA, has been named to the 2024-25 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-America Third Team, as announced Wednesday. The prestigious recognition highlights Bissoondial’s achievements both on the track and in the classroom.
Bissoondial is among a distinguished group of honorees, with 11 student-athletes across all three Academic All-America Division III Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country teams maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA in either undergraduate or graduate studies. The 16-member First Team averaged a GPA of 3.92, while the full 46-man roster posted a collective average of 3.84.
His selection marks the 32nd Academic All-America honor in the history of WPI Track & Field and Cross Country, and the 109th overall for the university. Impressively, 29 of the 32 honorees from the program have come under the leadership of Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Brian Chabot.
Capping off an exceptional final season with the Crimson and Gray, Bissoondial earned First Team All-America honors in the 5,000-meter run at the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, finishing eighth in the nation. He also captured NEWMAC titles in both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters and currently holds WPI school records in the outdoor 5,000 meters (14:09.22) and the indoor mile (4:11.61).
In cross country, Bissoondial is a two-time NCAA qualifier. He placed third at the 2024 NCAA East Region Championship and 60th at the NCAA National Championships last fall.
Off the track, Bissoondial has matched his athletic success with academic excellence, maintaining a perfect 4.00 GPA as a graduate student in Data Science. He is a seven-time NEWMAC Academic All-Conference honoree across all three seasons — cross country, indoor, and outdoor track & field — and earned CSC Academic All-District honors in both 2024 and 2025 before being elevated to All-America status this year.
WPI Men’s Track & Field concluded a strong 2025 campaign with a top-five team finish at the NEWMAC Championships, showcasing individual national achievements and continued academic excellence across the roster.
The Division III Academic All-America program is financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure, which assists the College Sports Communicators in managing the awards fulfillment for the 2024-25 academic year.