By Tiffany Williams –
WORCESTER, Mass. — While much of college athletics is consumed by transfer portals, NIL headlines and recruiting battles, WPI’s track and field programs continue to send a different message: elite academic performance is still part of the competition.
The Engineers aren’t just producing athletes capable of competing at a high level.
They’re producing scholars at one of the nation’s most academically demanding institutions.
That commitment was recognized again Monday as both the WPI men’s and women’s track and field programs earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team honors, while seven Engineers collected individual USTFCCCA All-Academic recognition.
The standards aren’t symbolic.
To earn All-Academic Team honors, a program must post a cumulative team grade-point average of at least 3.10 on a 4.0 scale among all student-athletes who used a season of eligibility.
WPI didn’t merely meet that benchmark.
The Crimson and Gray women finished with a remarkable 3.71 team GPA, tying for 16th among the 213 NCAA Division III women’s programs recognized nationwide.
The men’s team wasn’t far behind, recording a 3.61 GPA, also tying for 16th among the nation’s 165 honored Division III men’s programs.
Those numbers place both programs firmly among the country’s academic leaders and reinforce that excellence at WPI extends well beyond competition day.
Under Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Brian Chabot and Head Track & Field Coach Emily Dippel, the Engineers have clearly established a culture where academic success is expected rather than celebrated as an occasional achievement.
That culture is reflected in the individual honors as well.
Senior Gavin Fleck of Bend, Oregon, earned his fourth career USTFCCCA All-Academic honor, demonstrating sustained excellence throughout his collegiate career.
Junior Sam Manteria of Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and senior Everett Mosher of Chester, Vermont, each returned to the All-Academic list for the second consecutive year.
WPI also added four first-time honorees: senior Brett Gerlach of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania; senior Thomas Skerry of Dedham, Massachusetts; freshman Brian Stampoulos of Hillsborough, New Jersey; and senior Bethany Brown of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The academic diversity among the honorees underscores the rigor facing these student-athletes every day.
Gavin Fleck and Thomas Skerry study mechanical engineering.
Brett Gerlach majors in computer science.
Sam Manteria studies chemical engineering.
Everett Mosher majors in civil engineering.
Brian Stampoulos studies environmental engineering.
Bethany Brown majors in biomedical engineering.
These are among the most demanding academic disciplines offered at WPI, making the achievement even more noteworthy.
Individual All-Academic recognition also carries significant competitive requirements.
Student-athletes must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 through the most recently completed grading period while also finishing the season among the top 50 individuals on the TFRRS descending-order lists, or qualify through participation in the NCAA Division III Indoor or Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
That means these honors recognize athletes who excel where it matters most—both in the classroom and on the track.
In an era when college athletics often measures success through contracts, endorsements and transfer acquisitions, WPI continues proving there’s another scoreboard worth watching.
A pair of top-16 national academic finishes.
Seven individual All-Academic honorees.
And two programs demonstrating that academic excellence isn’t an occasional headline in Worcester—it’s become the standard.