ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Kate Gallagher, Keiley Maahs, Ellie Selisker, Fiona Smith, and Ella Young have been named to the 2023 Academic All-District® Women's Track & Field / Cross Country Team as selected by the College Sports Communicators on Wednesday (May 31).

The CSC recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in the athletic realm 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. Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced June 28.

This represents the first time that CSB has had five student-athletes in track and field/cross country named CSC Academic All-District.

Smith, who just finished runner-up in both the 10K and 5K at the NCAA DIII Outdoor Championship in Rochester, N.Y., earned her second straight Academic All-District honor. She was second team CoSIDA Academic All-America in 2022 – the fourth individual named in school history. Just last weekend (May 25-27), Smith broke a school/MIAC record in placing second with the third fastest DIII time ever in the 10,000 meters at 33:05.17 and was second in the 5,000-meters at 16:22.31. Smith has a program-best 11 All-American honors with five outdoors (2^nd, 10K, 2023; 2^nd, 5K, 2023; 4^th, 5K, 2022; 4^th, 10K, 2022; and 5^th, 5K, 2021). In all five outdoor DIII championship races she has finished fifth or better. She is the first in CSB school history to place second in two events at the same meet. Fact is that the second-place finish in both DIII championship races is the best ever in any outdoor event in school history. Smith won the 3,000 and 5,000 meter runs at the 2023 DIII indoor Championships and finished second at the DIII cross country championships. Smith, who was named the United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association North Region Athlete of the Year, has 19 career All-Region honors, including eight outdoors. In 2023, she earned her third, including twice indoors, USTFCCCA North Region Athlete of the Year. She was also the indoor USTFCCA National Athlete of the Year in 2023.

 

At the MIAC Championships, Smith became the first CSB or MIAC student-athlete in school history to win three individual titles, pulling off the rare 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters triple. As a result, Smith helped the Bennies finish third at the MIAC Championship with 127.50 points for the second-best total in school history (130, 2017). She has a school record 10 MIAC individual titles, 21 facility, school, conference or championship records and 47 individual victories in her career across indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country. Three times she has earned MIAC Athlete of the Week honors in 2023 (11 outdoor overall and 21 including indoor and cross country) and has also earned the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week on May 2, 2023. In cross country, she repeated as the MIAC individual champion and also won back-to-back NCAA DIII North Region titles. Named the MIAC Elite 22 Award recipient last fall, she was MIAC cross country MVP for a second straight year and repeated as the North Region Athlete of the Year.

Gallagher, a junior exercise and health services major from Fargo, N.D., recently had three top-seven finishes at the MIAC Outdoor Championships, including a fifth-place finish in the 100-meters, clocking 12.45 for the seventh best time in program history. She was seventh in the 200-meters at 26.32 (career-best 26.21 in prelims) and ran on the second place 4x100-meter relay in 49.27, which also earned All-MIAC honors. At the 2023 MIAC Indoor Championship, she was fifth in the 60-meters at 8.01. She has six honorable mention All-MIAC and two All-MIAC honors in her career along with being named Academic All-MIAC. In her career, she ranks in the top 10 at CSB in the 100-meters (outdoors) and is the school record holder with a 7.94 clocking in the 60 meters (indoor) in 2022. She also ranks third all-time at CSB in the 55 meters at 7.37. In her career, Gallagher, who received her first CSC Academic All-District honor, has 12 titles as an individual or on a relay and 55 top-seven finishes.

 

Maahs, a junior from Plymouth, Minn., is a junior computer science major, received her first-ever CSC Academic All-District selection. Maahs placed fifth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the MIAC Outdoor Championships. With a clocking of 11:29.32, Maahs recorded the eighth best time in school history in the event. During the outdoor season, she had a 3,000-meter steeplechase title at the Norse Invite and seven top-six finishes. Indoors, Maahs had three titles (two relays) among six top-six finishes. She was a member of the distance medley relay that placed first in 12:29.19 at the MIAC Indoor Championships. She also finished 64^th at the MIAC Cross Country Championship in the fall of 2022.

Selisker, a junior nursing major from Baxter, Minn., earned her first-ever CSC Academic All-District honor. Selisker had an outstanding 2023 for the Bennies, including earning a pair of All-MIAC honors at the 2023 MIAC Outdoor Championships She was third after a personal best of 5.50m – 18-00.50, which was tied for the second-best long jump in school history with Jenna Degen in 2017. It was an incredible effort for the junior as she bettered her previous best by over a foot (16-08.50). In the high jump, she was third with a personal-best of 1.56m – 5.01.25. In addition, she had a personal-best of 3,689 points for sixth in the pentathlon as she scored in third outdoor events for the Bennies. Selisker, who has earned Academic All-MIAC honors, was seventh in the pentathlon at the MIAC Indoor Championships. In her career, Selisker has recorded 40 top-six finishes and won seven individual titles.

 

Young, a junior chemistry major from Hudson, Wisc., was a two-sport standout for the Bennies and earned her first-ever CSC Academic All-District recognition. Young, who was All-MIAC in soccer two years ago and named Academic All-MIAC in soccer last fall, was a standout in track and field in 2023. At the MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship this spring, she was part of an All-MIAC performance in which CSB's 4x400-meter relay squad set a facility record and won the event with a clocking of 3:57.18. She also ran on the fourth place 4x800-meter relay, which captured All-MIAC honorable mention honors. This spring, she set a career best and fourth best 800-meter time in program history with a 2:16.60 at the Wisconsin-Lacrosse Qualifer. She also won the 400 meters in 1:00.69 at the Rider/Bolstorff Invite in late April.  She has totaled nine top-six finishes and two individual/relay titles at Saint Ben's.