CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois women's track and field and cross country teams had a pair of student-athletes honored on Thursday (May 26) as graduate students Rebecca Craddock and Allison McGrath were named Academic All-District First-Team for district 5, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced.

It is the first such honor for both Craddock and McGrath, with the duo becoming the seventh and eighth Illini women to earn the prestigious accolade for the Illini track and field and cross country programs.

The honor, which is selected by CoSIDA members, recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The duo now advances to the Academic All-America team ballot as a first-team selection.

One of the most decorated Illini, Craddock is a four-time USTFCCCA All-Academic selection, as well as a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, a four-time Fall Academic All-Big Ten and a three-time Spring Academic All-Big Ten selection. She took home Second-Team All-Big Ten honors in 2021 and was a 2019 NCAA Midwest All-Region honoree in cross country. The Brunswick, Ohio native is a three-time NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Prelims qualifier and took home a bronze medal in the distance medley relay at the 2019 Big Ten Indoor Championships. Earlier this season she ran the second fastest 5000m in program history, as well as setting a personal record, with a time of 16:11.64 at the 2022 Stanford Invitational on April 2 and most recently garnered the Top Individual GPA award at the 2021-22 Oskees.

Another highly decorated Illini, McGrath is a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar as well as a three-time Spring and Fall Academic All-Big Ten honoree. A 2018 NCAA Midwest All-Region, she owns two event titles and 19 top-five combined in cross country and track.

Craddock registered a 3.73 undergraduate GPA after earning a bachelor's degree in integrative biology and currently owns a 4.00 GPA in her public health graduate program. McGrath posted a 3.96 undergraduate GPA after earning a bachelor's degree in integrative biology with a minor in animal science and chemistry and currently owns a 4.00 GPA in her agricultural production graduate program.    

For more Fighting Illini Track & Field news, stay tuned to FightingIllini.com and follow @IlliniTrackXC on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook.