USTFCCCA Track and Field Academic Award & Official Release
NEWARK, NJ —The NJIT men's and women's track & field programs were recognized for their excellence in the classroom as both teams earned 2025-26 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team honors.
The Highlander men's team posted a 3.40 cumulative team grade point average, while the women's team recorded a 3.47 cumulative team GPA to earn the prestigious academic distinction.
In addition to the team honors, Jessie Fotheringham and Eatoniel Brown were each named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team. To qualify for the individual award, student-athletes must maintain at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA while achieving a qualifying national ranking during the season.
A biology major, Fotheringham from Tamworth, NSW, Australia, capped off a remarkable rookie campaign by ranking No. 27 in the NCAA East Region in the women's steeplechase, the highest regional finish by a Highlander in the event. She established a school record with a time of 9:58.55 at the Raleigh Relays, where she placed third overall. Throughout her first season at NJIT, Fotheringham set six school records on the track, earned a bronze medal in the women's mile at the America East Indoor Championships, was named the America East Cross Country Most Outstanding Rookie, collected First Team All-Conference honors, and received ECAC All-East recognition.
Brown, a business major from Plainfield, NJ., enjoyed an outstanding freshman season that saw him become just the third athlete in program history to qualify for the NCAA East First Round in the men's 400-meter hurdles, joining Alex Ortega (2019) and John Porteous (2014). Brown earned his NCAA berth after capturing the America East championship in the event with a personal-best time of 51.30, marking the first conference title in program history for NJIT in the men's 400-meter hurdles. At the NCAA East First Round, Brown finished 37th overall in 51.71, matching the best finish in program history in the event. He also recorded runner-up finishes in the 400-meter hurdles and the 4x400-meter relay at the conference championships and was a member of NJIT's victorious 4x400-meter relay team at the 118th Millrose Games during the indoor season.
The USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award recognizes collegiate track & field programs that maintain exceptional academic standards while competing at the highest levels of NCAA competition, highlighting the Highlanders' commitment to excellence both on the track and in the classroom.
