Stanford’s Amaechi Morton is both smart and talented. On Wednesday he was named on the Outdoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year in Division I for the 2011 men’s track & field seasons by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Morton was also joined by 10 of his teammates who were named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team. The Cardinal representatives were among the group that represents collegiate track & field’s best in both athletics and academics.
Morton, a junior from Atlanta, Ga., was the nation’s runner-up in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles at the NCAA outdoor championships. He has a 3.30 cumulative GPA through the 2011 spring term, while majoring in science technology.
Morton is now a four-time All-American at Stanford and the school recordholder in the 400 IH and the open 400 meters during the indoor season. He has progressed into one of the top 400 hurdlers in the world, currently ranking 18th on the IAFF World List for the 2011 season. Morton will be the top returning 400 hurdler for the 2012 NCAA season.
Morton joins Chris Derrick as the second Stanford athlete to be honored by the USTFCCCA as a National Scholar Athlete of the Year this season. Derrick was named the national winner for the cross-country season.
Morton and Derrick were among the 11 Cardinal men honored as All-Academic for the 2011 track season. The other honorees were Michael Atchoo, Andrew Berberick, Corey Dysick, Kevin Havel, Elliott Heath, Robert Hintz, Benjamin Johnson, Tyler Stutzman and Miles Unterreiner.
Derrick, Heath and Johnson are now three-time All-Academic team members, while Morton, Berberick, and Unterreiner are two-time recipients. Atchoo, Dysick, Havel, Hintz and Stutzman are being honored for the first time.