AUSTIN, Texas – University of South Alabama track and field's Jan-Louw Kotze has earned another honor as he was named to the Capital One Academic All-America® Men's Track & Field/Cross Country first team the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced on Friday.
 
This is the second-consecutive occasion the Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa, native has earned the honor making it his third academic distinguishment in four years. Kotze is the first South Alabama student-athlete to be named academic All-American from CoSIDA three times and the first athlete to earn the title in consecutive years since Brey Curtis was voted to the first-team Academic All-America baseball squad in 1996 and 1997.
 
To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, and have reached sophomore status or higher both athletically and academically at their current institution.
 
Kotze's first-team academic all-district selection that qualified him for the All-American honor last month marked the fourth-straight year Kotze has earned the first-team academic all-district distinction. 
 
Kotze finish sixth in the discus at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship last spring, as well as earning the Elite 90 award given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA participating in the finals. 
 
He concluded his outdoor collegiate career as USA's record holder in the discus and ranks second on the all-time performance list in the shot put and third in the hammer throw. Kotze also holds the Jaguars' all-time indoor weight throw record and is fifth in men's shot put.
 
Kotze was also one of two recipients of the Sun Belt Postgraduate Scholar Athlete-of-the-Year Award awarded in May. He earned a $6,500 scholarship toward his postgraduate education. Kotze received his degree from South this spring with a 4.00 cumulative grade-point average while double majoring in exercise science and psychology. 
 
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with USAJaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at Twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
 
Join the Finish Line Club, the track and field and cross country specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  All donations to the Finish Line Club go directly to support the South Alabama track and field/cross country programs.  For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/finishlineclub
 
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