PELLA—Central College women's track and field and cross country standouts Caroline McMartin (junior, Pella) and Megan Johnson (junior, Parkersburg, Aplington-Parkersburg HS) were named to the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-America® Women's Track and Field/Cross Country Team Wednesday.
           
To be eligible for consideration, a nominee must be a starter or key reserve and carry a minimum of a 3.50 cumulative grade point average and have reached sophomore standing. The elite squad is selected by the CSC membership from a ballot including all CSC Academic All-District honorees. The Division III program is financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure. Selections were made based on accolades from the cross country and track and field seasons.
           
McMartin was chosen for the second team and Johnson was picked for the third team. They are the first Central athletes selected to the women's track and field/cross country list since Kate Patton in 2018.
           
McMartin has a 4.0 cumulative GPA as a biology major to go with a trio of All-American performances in the past year. Her first career All-America accolade was earned by taking 24th place at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships last November. She was also on the fifth-place distance medley relay team at the Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in March and capped her junior year by crossing the line third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Additionally, she had five all-conference finishes during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons and was also an all-conference finisher in cross country.
           
Johnson holds a 3.96 GPA as a kinesiology major and had two All-American finishes. After spending the fall semester studying abroad, Johnson returned for the indoor track and field season and ran on the All-American distance medley relay team. She also finished seventh nationally in the NCAA outdoor 3,000-meter steeplechase. Johnson had a pair of outdoor all-conference finishes as well in the steeplechase and 5,000-meter run

Central has now had 58 student-athletes named to a CSC Academic All-America® team 71 times. McMartin and Johnson give Central five Academic All-Americans® for the 2022-23 academic year, tying a school record. The duo joined football wide receiver Jeff Herbers (senior, Urbandale, Des Moines Christian), wrestler Gage Linahon (junior, Newton) and women's golfer/triathlete Thea Lunning (senior, Mason City) as this year's honorees.