Junior Issac Prather and senior Jason Weitzel of the Concord University men’s cross country and track & field teams have been voted to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District Team.

Prather has a 3.4 GPA as a business administration major. He was a third-place winner during the West Virginia Innovation and Business Model Competition this past spring.

As a student-athlete, Prather was named United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA) Second Team All-American for his performance in the 3,000-meter steeplechase during the 2021 NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships. Prather finished ninth in Division II in the event. Additionally, Prather won the steeplechase at the MEC Championships and was third at the MEC Cross Country Championship during the 2021 spring season. Between cross country and track & field, Prather is a four-time All-Atlantic Region honoree, and has picked up eight All-MEC accolades throughout the course of his career.

Weitzel—one of CU’s most decorated athletes—was named to the USTFCCCA All-American Second Team after an 11th-place finish in the steeplechase at the NCAA Division II National Championships. Thursday’s announcement marks the fourth straight year that Weitzel has been placed on the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team. Weitzel completed his course work for his masters of health promotion degree in the spring after earning his health and physical education degree during his undergraduate years. In grad school, Weitzel had a 3.54 GPA. 

During his career that began fall of 2015, Weitzel has been a member of USTFCCCA All-Atlantic Region Teams 17 times—including landing on the squad all four years of cross country eligibility—and was All-MEC 16 more times. He helped CU earn its first team bid to the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship in 2016, also the first MEC team to accomplish the feat. Furthermore, he helped the Mountain Lions to three consecutive MEC Championships in cross country (2015-17).

In the fall of 2018, Weitzel was the Atlantic Regional Runner of the Year as he was the champion of the Atlantic Cross Country Region Championship. Earlier that spring, Weitzel was the MEC Track Athlete of the Year, and wrapped his career by being the MEC MVP/High Point in track this spring.

Both Prather and Weitzel move onto consideration for CoSIDA Academic All-American honors which will be announced the second week of August.

–CU-