AUSTIN, Texas – Recently-graduated track and field and cross country standout John Hughes has been named to the 2017-18 Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team.
 
Hughes becomes the 37th student-athlete in Allegheny College history to earn the prestigious Academic All-America laurel, and the sixth Gator men's track and field/cross country student-athlete to do so.
 
A mathematics major and economics minor, Hughes graduated in May with a 3.90 cumulative grade-point average, and was previously recognized as Allegheny's William Crawford Academic Achievement Award winner, the Allegheny North Coast Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete Award winner, and as the 2017-18 Allegheny Senior Athlete Achievement Award recipient.
 
Hughes was a top runner for the Gators throughout the cross country and track and field seasons.  In the fall cross country campaign, he placed in the top five in four of the team's seven events, including a third-place finish at the NCAC Championships to earn First Team All-NCAC laurels.  A week later, Hughes, earned All-Region accolades with a 12th-place finish at the Great Lakes Regional Championships, and qualified for the 2017 NCAA Division III National Championships, where he placed 80th in a field of 270 runners.
 
During the indoor track and field season, Hughes won NCAC titles in both the mile and 3,000 meter runs, while helping the Gator distance medley relay squad to an All-NCAC third-place finish.  For the second straight season, he was named the NCAC Indoor Distance Most Valuable Performer, just the second athlete in conference history to earn the honor in back-to-back seasons.
 
Hughes would go on to earn All-NCAC honors at the conference's outdoor championships in the 5,000 meter run, his 12th career all-conference accolade spanning cross country and track.
 
To be eligible for Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore and hold a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher while serving as a top contributor to their team.  Student-athletes are nominated by their institution's sports information director, while voting is done by SIDs from across the country.
 
Hughes joins Dan Cheung (2017), Tony Dipre (2011, 2010), Jeramie Parker (2011), Marco Dozzi (2007), and Tom Held (1983) as Allegheny men's track and field Academic All-America selections.