Francis Marion University senior Annalena Griffin and sophomore Haizley Herndon have been named to the College Sports Communicators Women's Cross Country/Track and Field 2023 Academic All-District Team that was released recently.

Selected by CSC, the All-District Team recognizes the area's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the track and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions: NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot, with the Academic All-America® honorees to be announced on June 28.

Griffin, a native of Taylors, S.C., recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, and she graduated cum laude with University Honors and a 3.672 cumulative grade point.  She received the Outstanding Achievement in Biology Award at the 2023 Academic Awards Day Ceremony, and will attend veterinarian school at the University of Georgia.

A three-year letterwinner for the Patriots, she was named a finalist for the Conference Carolinas 2022-23 Murphy Osborne Award.  She was named to the Academic All-Conference Team on two occasions, selected to the Conference Presidential Honor Roll twice, and placed on the FMU Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic Honor Roll all six of her semesters.  She was named to the 2020 Peach Belt Conference All-Sportsmanship Team, was a member of the Pre Vet Club (vice president), and was inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma national college athlete honor society, Tri Beta biological honor society, and Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) honor society.  She also served two years on the university's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

She ran in all 14 cross country meets during her three years at FMU, and placed 74th at the 2022 Conference Carolinas Championships. On the track, she competed in the 1,500-meters and the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Herndon is a Myrtle Beach native, has a 3.737 GPA as a chemistry major, and is part of the FMU Honors College.  She received the Analytical Chemistry Award at the 2023 Academic Awards Day Ceremony.

A two-year letterwinner in cross country and three years on the track, Herndon earned Academic All-Conference recognition for both sports this past year.  She is also a member of Chi Alpha Sigma and has served two years on the SAAC.  She has twice been placed on the Conference Presidential Honor Roll and earned FMU Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic Honor Roll accolades four times.

She ran in four cross country meets this past fall and finished 87th at the 2022 Conference Carolinas Championships.  On the track, she competed in the javelin, shot put, and discus.

The Division II CSC Academic All-America® program is partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2023 Divisions II Academic All-America® program.

Griffin is a product of Greer Middle College Charter High School, while Herndon is a graduate of Carolina Forest High School.

  
   Annalena Griffin        Haizley Herndon