AUSTIN, Texas – On Wednesday afternoon the College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced the 2024 Academic All-America® selections for the sports of men's cross country and track & field. Becoming the 19th and 20th student-athletes in school history to earn Academic All-American status through the CSC program (formerly CoSIDA), the Hilltoppers are represented by Reese Burnside (track & field) and Philip White (cross country/track & field) who both were selected to the third team. The pair brings the total to 29 all-time selections for the university in conjunction with the prestigious accolade and marks the first-ever honorees for both the cross country and track & field programs. WLU is one of only two schools in the Mountain East Conference to have a student-athlete earn CSC Academic All-America® status during 2023-24, joining Frostburg State. With the selections, the West Liberty University athletic department has also extended their streak to 12 consecutive academic years with an individual being recognized as a CSC Academic All-American®, the longest active streak among MEC institutions.

Burnside, who earned his second career CSC Academic All-District® accolade three weeks ago, collects his first career CSC Academic All-America® selection as he has posted a 3.98 cumulative GPA while pursuing a degree in ­speech pathology. The junior from West Union, West Virginia, ranked among the top-50 in NCAA Division II's Atlantic Region in one event. In outdoor track & field he ranked sixth in the region in the pole vault (4.80m (15' 9")), breaking a school-record and earning All-MEC Second Team in the event. Additionally, Burnside was recognized with an Academic All-MEC honor last month and was named the MEC male recipient of the NCAA Division II 50^th Anniversary Scholarship in May.

White, who earned his first career CSC Academic All-District® accolade three weeks ago, collects his first career CSC Academic All-America® selection as he has posted a 3.51 cumulative undergraduate GPA and a 3.77 cumulative graduate GPA while pursuing a degree in exercise physiology. The graduate student from Morgantown, West Virginia, ranked among the top-50 in NCAA Division II's Atlantic Region in six events. In cross country he earned USTFCCCA All-Atlantic Region honors with a 25^th place finish and 10K time of 31:25.3 at the regional meet, additionally he claimed All-MEC Second Team honors with a 14^th place finish and 8K time of 27:13.1 at the conference meet. During the indoor track & field season, White was a member of the distance medley relay team that ranked tenth in the region (10:24.91), was 19^th in the mile (4:17.13), and 34^th in the 3,000m run (8:47.02. In the outdoor track & field season he ranked 12^th in the region in the 10,000m run (31:42.25) and 20^th in the 1,500m run (3:58.57). Additionally, White was recognized with an MEC Commissioner's Honor Roll honor this past fall.