SEARCY – The awards continue to flood in for Harding senior cross country/track athlete Katy Grant. On Thursday, Grant became the first Harding student-athlete to earn ESPN the Magazine 1st Team Academic All-America honors in consecutive seasons. She also became the first female to earn three Academic All-America awards.
Grant, who graduated from Harding with a degree in Social Work and a 4.00 G.P.A., is a four-time All-Gulf South Conference selection in cross country. A three-time All-Region cross country runner, she won the 2009 GSC cross country individual title.
A native of Mustang, Okla., Grant is a two-time NCAA qualifier in the steeplechase who set three school records. The winner of the Berryhill Award as Harding's Most Outstanding Female Senior Student-Athlete, she was named one of the Gulf South "Top Ten" award winners, recognizing the top five male and female student-athletes in the conference.
Grant earned 3rd Team honors in 2008 and 1st Team honors last season.
Harding's other 1st Team Academic All-America honorees were Kenneth Collins (men's basketball, 1986), Laura Tollett (women's tennis, 2001), Scott Penick (men's track/cross country, 2002), Katie Westmoreland (volleyball, 2006) and Kendyl Washburn (women's soccer, 2007).
Harding's Multiple All-America Honorees
4-time – Jonathan Dandy (track and field, 1997; cross country, 1997; track and field, 1998; cross country, 1998)
3-time – Katy Grant (cross country/track, 2008; cross country/track, 2009; cross country/track, 2010) and Scott Penick (track and field, 2000; cross country, 2001; track/cross country, 2002).
2-time – Ed Vanderkaarj (track and field, 1985; track and field, 1986); Kenneth Collins (basketball, 1985; basketball, 1986); Jay Brogdon (basketball, 2003; basketball, 2004); Tyler Kemmerer (track and field, 2003; track and field, 2004).
