TicketsCOLLEGE STATION, Texas - For the second year in a row, University of Cincinnati track and field student-athlete Adrian Valles has been named as the NCAA Elite 90 Award recipient for indoor track and field, the Association announced tonight. Valles, who is set to compete in the pole vault at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships Friday afternoon in College Station, Texas, was honored at the annual NCAA Banquet ahead of this year's national indoor meet.
The honor, which was first awarded during the 2009-10 academic year, is given at each of the NCAA's 90 national championship events to the student-athlete in the national event that carries the highest cumulative grade-point average and, for the second year in a row, Valles earned the top honor. With this year's award, Valles is the 37th different student-athlete in Division I to earn multiple honors and just the sixth track and field student-athlete to earn more than one accolade. the second man to win back-to-back indoor track and field honors, Valles is now the fourth male student-athlete to be selected for the track and field (indoor or outdoor) since the award's inception.
The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships. Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling and a designated member of the squad size at the championship.
Valles's honor last year made him the first Bearcats student-athlete to be so recognized in the nine years the NCAA has honored the top student-athlete at each of its championship events with this year's accolade making him the first double-honoree as well. He also is the first student-athlete in the history of the American Athletic Conference to bring home the honor. Earlier this week, Valles was selected as the American Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year for Indoor Track & Field and, for the second year in a row, was named the overall Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the AAC in 2017-18.
The senior All-American enters this weekend's national meet ranked fourth the pole vault with a top clearance of 5.61m (18-04.75), which also stands as a school and AAC record. A four-time indoor and seven-time overall (indoor and outdoor) conference champion in the American, Valles is seeking his fourth indoor All-America accolade and sixth overall All-America honor, a total that would tie him with Al Lanier for the most in program history.
Valles is one of four Bearcats in Texas this weekend that will compete in the NCAA meet. Alex Bloom will lead things off Friday at noon CT in the heptathlon 60m dash with Loretta Blaut taking on the field in the women's high jump at 4:30 p.m. CT and Valles in the men's pole vault at 5 p.m. Bloom will be back Saturday at noon CT for the heptathlon 60m hurdles before Annette Echikunwoke looks to defend her weight throw crown at 4:30 p.m. CT.
The honor, which was first awarded during the 2009-10 academic year, is given at each of the NCAA's 90 national championship events to the student-athlete in the national event that carries the highest cumulative grade-point average and, for the second year in a row, Valles earned the top honor. With this year's award, Valles is the 37th different student-athlete in Division I to earn multiple honors and just the sixth track and field student-athlete to earn more than one accolade. the second man to win back-to-back indoor track and field honors, Valles is now the fourth male student-athlete to be selected for the track and field (indoor or outdoor) since the award's inception.
The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships. Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling and a designated member of the squad size at the championship.
Valles's honor last year made him the first Bearcats student-athlete to be so recognized in the nine years the NCAA has honored the top student-athlete at each of its championship events with this year's accolade making him the first double-honoree as well. He also is the first student-athlete in the history of the American Athletic Conference to bring home the honor. Earlier this week, Valles was selected as the American Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year for Indoor Track & Field and, for the second year in a row, was named the overall Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the AAC in 2017-18.
The senior All-American enters this weekend's national meet ranked fourth the pole vault with a top clearance of 5.61m (18-04.75), which also stands as a school and AAC record. A four-time indoor and seven-time overall (indoor and outdoor) conference champion in the American, Valles is seeking his fourth indoor All-America accolade and sixth overall All-America honor, a total that would tie him with Al Lanier for the most in program history.
Valles is one of four Bearcats in Texas this weekend that will compete in the NCAA meet. Alex Bloom will lead things off Friday at noon CT in the heptathlon 60m dash with Loretta Blaut taking on the field in the women's high jump at 4:30 p.m. CT and Valles in the men's pole vault at 5 p.m. Bloom will be back Saturday at noon CT for the heptathlon 60m hurdles before Annette Echikunwoke looks to defend her weight throw crown at 4:30 p.m. CT.