SEARCY – Harding University track and field/cross country athletes Frank Bolling and Ryan Johnson were named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VI Team on Thursday. It was the first Academic All-District honor for both student-athletes.
Bolling, a senior from Lawrenceville, Ga., had an outstanding year for the Harding track and cross country teams. He placed 23rd at the 2009 Gulf South Conference cross country meet with a time of 27 minutes, 31 seconds.
Bolling then set a school record in the indoor 800 meters with an NCAA provisional time of 1:53.07 at Iowa State. His was the fastest 800-meter time in the NCAA II South Region during the indoor season. During the outdoor season, Bolling ran a personal-best 800-meter time of 1:53.32 at Rhodes College.
Bolling is double majoring in preaching and management and has a 3.48 cumulative grade point average.
Johnson, a sophomore from Nashville, Tenn., placed 20th at the GSC Cross Country Championship, earning 2nd Team All-GSC honors. Johnson then placed 33rd at the NCAA II South Region Meet.
During the indoor season, Johnson ranked second in the South Region in the 800 meters with a time of 1:57.10. He ranked fifth in the outdoor 1,500 meters (3:56.98) and eighth in the 800 meters (1:56.79). At the South Region Challenge, Johnson placed third in both the 800-meter and 1,500-meter races.
Johnson is a mechanical engineering major with a 3.88 grade point average.
The ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District teams are voted on by the district's sports information directors. District VI includes NCAA II, NCAA III, and NAIA schools in Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.
Bolling and Johnson were two of ten student-athletes that will move on the Academic All-America ballot. The All-America team will be released on Tuesday, June 22.
