Two members of the Valparaiso University track & field program received recognition on Friday as the Missouri Valley Conference announced its 2023-24 MVC Scholar-Athlete team for track & field. Senior distance runner Simeon Ehm (Castle Rock, Colo. / Heritage) and senior thrower Tori Gerhardt (Westville, Ind. / Chesterton) were recognized for their academic and athletic success.

Ehm and Gerhardt qualified for scholar-athlete honors by possessing a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above, reaching at least sophomore academic and athletic standings and placing in the top eight of an event at the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor and/or Outdoor Championships.

Gerhardt, who owns a 3.75 cumulative GPA in exercise science, placed eighth in the weight throw at the MVC Indoor Championships with a mark of 15.76 meters. Ehm, who owns a perfect 4.00 cumulative GPA in environmental engineering, posted several top-8 conference championship finishes including the indoor 5000, indoor 3000 and outdoor 1500.

Gerhardt’s weight throw of 54-8.25 ranked fourth in program history and was the program’s best since 2020. Ehm ranks in the top five in program history in the indoor mile (4:13.73, third), the indoor 3000 (8:15.07, second), the indoor 5000 (14:27.84, second), the outdoor 1500 (3:49.57, program record) and the outdoor 5000 (14:23.64, third). He also earned the Valparaiso University Alumni Association Distinguished Student Award for the College of Engineering this year.