Metro East Sun

After a successful season that saw her post a top-10 school history time in the 6K, an Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (SIUE) cross-country runner is being honored for her accomplishments in the classroom.

Allie Sweatt, a redshirt sophomore who is from Edwardsville herself, was one of 19 SIUE players to win the Ohio Valley Conference Academic Medal of Honor. The award is presented to student-athletes who achieve the highest grade point average in conference-sponsored sports. All the recipients of the award this years carried a perfect 4.0 GPA.

SIU-E cross country runner Allie Sweatt was recently named an OVC Academic Medal of Honor winner | SIU Edwardsville Athletics

"Allie understands the balance of being a student-athlete," Kayla Brown, assistant track and field and cross-country coach, recently told the Metro East Sun. "To receive an Academic Medal of Honor while competing both semesters is an exciting accomplishment."

Sweatt was a three-time state qualifier for cross country at Edwardsville High School, placing in the top five at the sectional championships three times. She won the conference title in the 3200-meter her senior year, finishing 12th in the Illinois State meet in the same event, as well as setting the school record of 11:11. She started her college career at SIU-Carbondale, running in four meets during the 2013 season. After that, she decided to transfer to SIUE, sitting out the 2014 season due to transfer rules.

Coming back to competition in 2015, she ran all six races. Her time of 22:21.3 at the Bradley Pink Classic in the 6K race placed her seventh all-time in SIUE history. On Halloween night, she ran a personal best of 18:58.5 in the 5K at the OVC Championships.

Brown said that Allie is a leader both academically and athletically.

"Allie brings an unmatched enthusiasm to our team," she said. "She demonstrates leadership qualities in all aspects whether it is on the team or in the classroom."

Sweatt was one of 43 OVC Track and field athletes to win the Academic Medal of Honor, the most of any sport in the OVC. In total, 245 OVC athletes won the medal, with 29 of them winning it while playing multiple sports --being named to list once despite being technically honored more than once. The 245 winners shatter the conference record of 212 in 2012. Academics are up across the board in the OVC, as a record 1,335 student-athletes were named to the Commissioner's Honor Roll for carrying at least a 3.25 GPA.

SIU-E has a history of academic success in their athletic program, boasting the top NCAA student-athlete graduation rate in the state of Illinois, and seventh in the nation. Sweatt's winning the medal helps demonstrate a commitment to academics in the track program, according to Brown.

"Having an Academic Medal of Honor displays the importance of academics in our program," she said. "Allie receives the honor due to dedication to her academic standards and her team."