NEW ORLEANS – The University of South Alabama men's track and field program brought home the Sun Belt Conference Team GPA award for a fourth-consecutive season after the league office announced the winners for the 2016-17 academic year on Friday. 

As a group, the Jaguars recorded a 3.22 cumulative grade-point average last season, improving their overall GPA from 3.08 a year ago. The South men recorded fifth place finishes at both the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Indoor and Outdoor Championships, scoring 79 points in the indoor competition and 90 points during the outdoor event.

Individually, Sean Collins placed eighth in the men's pole vault at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., out of 24 competitors to claim All-American honors. Collins returned after not being able to compete past the conference championships during the 2016 season due to a dislocated ankle.

Jan-Louw Kotze was named to the Capital One Academic All-America® Men's Track & Field/Cross Country for the second-straight season and his third time overall. Kotze also earned first-team academic all-district for the fourth-consecutive season.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.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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