Valparaiso placed a league-best four student-athletes on the Horizon League Men’s Indoor Track and Field Academic All-League team, as announced by the league office.

Senior Jarrett Mickens (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) earns his third career Academic All-League honor after being named the Most Outstanding Field Performer at the HL Indoor Championships.  Mickens, a three-time Male Field Athlete of the Week during the indoor season, won both the long jump and the triple jump at the league championship meet.  The senior set new school records in both events over the course of the season, winning the events a combined eight times in 13 competitions.  The HL Male Scholar-Athlete of the Month for January, Mickens holds a 3.623 cumulative GPA as a biology major.  He has been named to the HL Academic Honor Roll each semester eligible, and has been named to the Dean’s List and earned Presidential academic honors while at Valpo.

Junior Jordan Piaskowy (Crete, Ill./Illiana Christian) earns Academic All-League accolades for the indoor season for a second straight year and now has three total Academic All-League honors over his career.  Piaskowy ranked second on the team in the 5,000m run during the indoor season, running a top time of 15:53.41 in the event.  The junior set PRs during the indoor campaign in both the 3K and 5K as well.  Piaskowy, who holds a 3.775 cumulative GPA as a civil engineering major, has been named to the HL Academic Honor Roll each semester eligible and has been named to the Dean’s List and earned Presidential academic honors while at Valpo.

Sophomore Andrew Rixon (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield) receives Academic All-League accolades for the first time in his career as a Crusader, in his first season eligible.  Rixon ranked second on the team in both the shot put and the weight throw during the indoor season, placing fifth at the HL Indoor Championships in the shot put and seventh in the weight throw.  The sophomore carries a 3.536 cumulative GPA as a civil engineering major and was named to the HL Academic Honor Roll for the fall 2010 semester, his first semester eligible.  Rixon has also been named to the Dean’s List and earned Presidential academic honors during his time at Valpo.

Senior Steve Schubert (Naperville, Ill./Benet Academy) garnered the fifth Academic All-League honor of his career after ranking among the Crusaders’ top jumpers during the 2011 indoor season.  Schubert was second on the team in the triple jump, ranking tenth in the league, and third in the long jump.  The senior leapt to an eighth-place finish at the HL Indoor Championships in the triple jump as well.  Schubert, who owns a 3.805 cumulative GPA as a civil engineering major, has been named to the HL Academic Honor Roll each semester eligible and has been named to the Dean’s List and earned Presidential academic honors while at Valpo.

The 17-member Horizon League Academic All-League team in men’s indoor track and field was voted upon by the league’s faculty athletics representatives and sports information directors.  To be eligible for Academic All-Horizon League consideration, student-athletes must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher and competed at least one year at the member institution.