10 Mastodons Earn #HLTF Academic Honors
5/27/2026 2:57:00 PM | Women's Track and Field, Men's Track and Field
INDIANAPOLIS - Colten Gasson, Ava Genovese, Bella Hodges, Ali Sparks and Riley Tate were selected to the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Track & Field All-Academic teams, the league announced on Wednesday (May 27). Josiah Bird, Colin Gasson, Noah Morris, Francesca Carlo and Ellie Zagel were named to the honorable mention squads.
The four Purdue Fort Wayne selections to the Academic All-League women's team tied Milwaukee for most in the outdoor campaign.
To be eligible for Horizon League All-Academic consideration, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.20 or higher (based on a 4.00 scale), have completed at least one year at the member institution, having earned 24 semester-hour or 36 quarter-hour credits, and participate in 50 percent of the team's overall contests. An Honorable Mention is awarded to student-athletes who received at least 25 percent of votes, but did not make the All-Academic Team. GPAs below are based on grades at the conclusion of the fall semester.
Women's Academic All-League
Ava Genovese (Senior – Coloma, Mich.)
GPA: 3.59 | Major: Biology
- 2026 Purdue Fort Wayne Top 50 student
- Department's Heart of a Don Award winner
- 3rd in the 1500 meters, 8th in the 800 meters, 11th in the 5000 meters at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
Bella Hodges (Senior – Indianapolis)
GPA: 3.70 | Major: Biology
- 2026 Purdue Fort Wayne Top 50 student
- 1st in the 800 at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
- 2026 Horizon League Indoor Track & Field Sportsmanship Award winner
Ali Sparks (Senior – Fort Wayne, Ind.)
GPA: 3.58 | Major: Business Management
- 1st in the hammer throw at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
- Department's Senior Athlete of the Year Award winner
Riley Tate (Senior – Columbus, Ohio)
GPA: 3.96 | Major: Computer Science
- 3rd in the steeplechase and 4th in the 5000 meters at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
- Department's Doc Skelton Award winner
Men's Academic All-League
Colten Gasson (Senior – Fort Loramie, Ohio)
GPA: 3.84 | Major: Mechanical Engineering Technology
- 2026 Purdue Fort Wayne Exemplar Student
- 8th in the steeplechase at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
Women's Academic All-League Honorable Mention
Francesca Carlo (Senior – Cleveland Heights, Ohio)
GPA: 3.98 | Major: Web Design
- 2026 Purdue Fort Wayne Exemplar Student
- Winner of department's Academic Excellence Award for highest GPA
- 6th in the hammer throw at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
Ellie Zagel (Junior – West Bend, Wis.)
GPA: 4.00 | Major: Construction Management
- 2026 Purdue Fort Wayne top 50 student
- 7th in the shotput, 10th in the javelin and 12th in the discus at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
Men's Academic All-League Honorable Mention
Josiah Bird (Sophomore – Fishers, Ind.)
GPA: 3.48 | Major: Business Marketing
- Took second in the discus, fifth in the shotput and seventh in the hammer throw at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
Colin Gasson (Senior – Fort Loramie, Ohio)
GPA: 3.86 | Major: Mechanical Engineering Technology
- 2026 Purdue Fort Wayne Exemplar Student
- Personal record of 56.69 in the 400 at the Spartan Invite
- Ran a 2:04.22 in the 800 at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
Noah Morris (Sophomore – Sterling Heights, Mich.)
GPA: 3.31 | Major: Business
- 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Men's Outstanding Performer in Running Events
- 1st in the 100 meters and 200 meters at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
- 2nd in the 4x100 relay at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
~ Feel The Rumble ~
The four Purdue Fort Wayne selections to the Academic All-League women's team tied Milwaukee for most in the outdoor campaign.
To be eligible for Horizon League All-Academic consideration, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.20 or higher (based on a 4.00 scale), have completed at least one year at the member institution, having earned 24 semester-hour or 36 quarter-hour credits, and participate in 50 percent of the team's overall contests. An Honorable Mention is awarded to student-athletes who received at least 25 percent of votes, but did not make the All-Academic Team. GPAs below are based on grades at the conclusion of the fall semester.
Women's Academic All-League
Ava Genovese (Senior – Coloma, Mich.)
GPA: 3.59 | Major: Biology
- 2026 Purdue Fort Wayne Top 50 student
- Department's Heart of a Don Award winner
- 3rd in the 1500 meters, 8th in the 800 meters, 11th in the 5000 meters at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
Bella Hodges (Senior – Indianapolis)
GPA: 3.70 | Major: Biology
- 2026 Purdue Fort Wayne Top 50 student
- 1st in the 800 at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
- 2026 Horizon League Indoor Track & Field Sportsmanship Award winner
Ali Sparks (Senior – Fort Wayne, Ind.)
GPA: 3.58 | Major: Business Management
- 1st in the hammer throw at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
- Department's Senior Athlete of the Year Award winner
Riley Tate (Senior – Columbus, Ohio)
GPA: 3.96 | Major: Computer Science
- 3rd in the steeplechase and 4th in the 5000 meters at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
- Department's Doc Skelton Award winner
Men's Academic All-League
Colten Gasson (Senior – Fort Loramie, Ohio)
GPA: 3.84 | Major: Mechanical Engineering Technology
- 2026 Purdue Fort Wayne Exemplar Student
- 8th in the steeplechase at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
Women's Academic All-League Honorable Mention
Francesca Carlo (Senior – Cleveland Heights, Ohio)
GPA: 3.98 | Major: Web Design
- 2026 Purdue Fort Wayne Exemplar Student
- Winner of department's Academic Excellence Award for highest GPA
- 6th in the hammer throw at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
Ellie Zagel (Junior – West Bend, Wis.)
GPA: 4.00 | Major: Construction Management
- 2026 Purdue Fort Wayne top 50 student
- 7th in the shotput, 10th in the javelin and 12th in the discus at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
Men's Academic All-League Honorable Mention
Josiah Bird (Sophomore – Fishers, Ind.)
GPA: 3.48 | Major: Business Marketing
- Took second in the discus, fifth in the shotput and seventh in the hammer throw at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
Colin Gasson (Senior – Fort Loramie, Ohio)
GPA: 3.86 | Major: Mechanical Engineering Technology
- 2026 Purdue Fort Wayne Exemplar Student
- Personal record of 56.69 in the 400 at the Spartan Invite
- Ran a 2:04.22 in the 800 at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
Noah Morris (Sophomore – Sterling Heights, Mich.)
GPA: 3.31 | Major: Business
- 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Men's Outstanding Performer in Running Events
- 1st in the 100 meters and 200 meters at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
- 2nd in the 4x100 relay at the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships
~ Feel The Rumble ~
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Multi
/ Women's Track and Field"Miss Trunchbull" visits Purdue Fort Wayne
Tuesday, March 17
2026 Mastodon Invitational
Tuesday, January 20
2025 HL Outdoor Championships
Monday, May 12
Horizon League Outdoor Championships 2024
Monday, May 06
