Francis Marion University senior Emma Driggers has been selected as a first team member of the prestigious Academic All-America® Division II Women's Track and Field/Cross Country Team for 2019-20.  The Mauldin, S.C., native was a second-team Academic All-America pick in 2018-19.

Selected by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America), the All-America® program recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in the athletic realm and in the classroom.

The 15 first-team members hold a composite 3.95 grade point average, while 24 members of the 45-player first, second and third team honorees hold a perfect 4.00 cumulative GPA, including Driggers.  She is also one of 13 repeat selections from 2018-19.

During her time at FMU, Driggers compiled her perfect grade point average as a history and French double major, graduating summa cum laude with University Honors last month.

On the cross country course last fall, she was the third Patriot finisher in four of five meets.  She posted a season-best 5,000-meter time of 21:57 at the Sand Shark Invitational and placed 67th at the Peach Belt Conference Championship Meet.  She was named to the PBC Women's Cross Country Team of Academic Distinction for the third year in a row.

The 2020 track season consisted of only one meet before it was cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic.  Driggers placed 20th in the 1500-meters at the Braves Track Classic

She was a McNair Scholar, a CHE Palmetto Fellow, and a Patriot Mentor; and served as a student marshal for 2017-18.  As part of the 2020 Academic Awards Day presentations, she received the Duane P. Myers Award, given to the top student in FMU's prestigious honors program; the Modern Language Award; and the History Award; and as part of the recent athletic awards, she received the Swamp Fox Academic Frankie Award for the second time.  She served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee this past year and garnered a Pride of the Patriot award in 2020. She spent the 2019 spring semester studying overseas as part of an FMU cooperative program.

She is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa national leadership honor society, Phi Alpha Theta history honor society, and Chi Alpha Sigma national college athlete honor society. 

Driggers has been named to the Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic Honor Roll on seven occasions and to the Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll three times.  She was a member of Baptist Collegiate Ministries and was a past Writing Center tutor at FMU.

This marks the sixth occasion that a Patriot cross country and track and field women's athlete has garnered Academic All-America® recognition: Driggers (2020, 2019), Amanda Doyle (2009), Emily Reid (1999, 2000), and Elizabeth Pidgeon (1997).

She was named the cross country team MVP in 2016 after winning one race and posting four Top-20 showings as a freshman.

Driggers was a Wendy's High School Heisman state finalist in 2015 at Mauldin High School.

The Division II Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2019-20 Division II Academic All-America® teams program. Despite the cancellation of spring competition during COVID-19, CoSIDA continued its sponsorship of the Academic All-America awards program. Student-athletes were selected based on career statistics.

      Emma Driggers

2019-20 Academic All-America ® Team
Women's Track & Field / Cross Country NCAA Division II

FIRST TEAM
Name                                         School                                                           Yr.     GPA            Major
Athina Amanor                           Spring Hill College                                           Sr.      4.00            Pre-Med
Morgan Ash                                Missouri Southern State University                Sr.       3.80            Biology / Pre-Physical Therapy
Maia Austin                                University of Colorado Colorado Springs        Sr.      4.00             Exercise Science
Elena Bisotto                             Missouri Southern State University                 Jr.       4.00            Biology
Addison Cantor                          Florida Southern College                                 Sr.     4.00             Biochemistry / Molecular Biology
Chloe Cook                                Colorado School of Mines                                Gr.     3.89/3.95     Materials Science (G)
Emma Driggers                          Francis Marion University                                 Sr.     4.00             History / French
Katie Etelamaki                          Ferris State University                                     Sr.     4.00             Biology
Hanna Groeber                          Grand Valley State University                           Sr.     3.84             Biomedical Sciences
Lauren Huebner                        Saginaw Valley State University                       Gr.     3.91/4.00     Occupational Therapy
Valda Kabia                               West Texas A&M University                               Sr.     3.95             Health Sciences
Haven Lander                           Pittsburg State University                                  Jr.     4.00             English
Andra Lehotay                          Walsh University                                                Sr.     3.99            Gov't & Foreign Affairs (Pre-Law)
Nicole McMillen                          Tusculum University                                           Gr.     3.92/4.00    Business Management (U) / MBA (G)
Piper Misse                                Pittsburg State University                                 Sr.     4.00            Nursing