• The 2010 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Teams For Cross Country & Track
Senior cross country runner
Brian Joyce (Evansville, Ind./Central H.S.) joined elite company at the University of Evansville on Tuesday, as he garnered his second-straight ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America award from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) as a First Team Academic All-America selection for Cross Country and Track. Joyce becomes just the 11th two-time Academic All-American in UE history.
Joyce, a second team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American in 2009, joins former Purple Aces Mike Ritchie (Baseball, 1980 and 1981), Pat Heck (Baseball, 1984 and 1985), Scott Haffner (Men’s Basketball, 1988 and 1989), Amy Humphries (Women’s Basketball, 1990 and 1991), Steven Church (Men’s Soccer At-Large, 1991 and 1992), Aaron Gries (Baseball, 1992 and 1993), Brent Miller (Men’s Golf At-Large, 1996 and 1997), Pedro Delgado (Men’s Soccer At-Large, 1998 and 1999), Clint Cuffle (Men’s Basketball, 2003 and 2004) and Jason Pele (Men’s Soccer, 2005 and 2006) as the only two-time Academic All-America selections in UE history. Overall, Joyce is the 43rd Purple Ace chosen for one of the official Academic All-America teams dating back to 1972, and he is the 22nd UE student-athlete chosen as a first team Academic All-American.
“This is a tremendous honor not only for Brian, but also for our program and our University,” said UE head coach
Don Walters. “To be selected as an Academic All-American in any sport is a tremendous honor, but when you consider how many student-athletes compete in the sports of cross country and track and field across the country, to have one of the 16 first team selections be from the University of Evansville is a testament to the type of true student-athlete that Brian Joyce is.
“Brian really epitomizes what UE cross country and UE athletics is all about: success both in athletics and in academics. And, to top it off, he is an even better person away from the cross country course. I really could not be more proud of Brian for everything that he has accomplished during his time at UE.”
In the classroom, Joyce excelled at UE, carrying a perfect 4.00 grade-point average in exercise science at Evansville. He was chosen in April as UE’s Ralph H. Coleman award winner, which honors the school’s most outstanding senior male scholar-athlete. Joyce was also extremely active on campus and in the community, serving as a board member for UE’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and assisting with various community service projects, including Patchwork Central, United Caring Shelter, Christian Life Center, North Park Nursing Center and Ozanam Family Shelter.
On the cross country course, Joyce was one of UE’s top runners last fall, as he posted four top 30 individual finishes for the Purple Aces, including placing 11th out of 151 runners at the UE Invitational in October. He set a new personal standard in the 10-K event at the 2009 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships with a time of 34:28.74. He also posted a season-best time of 25:58.00 at the Great American Cross Country Festival in Cary, North Carolina on October 2. Joyce earned a “Team Captain” award for the Purple Aces this past fall, while also capturing the team’s “Most Improved Runner” award last year as a junior.
Joyce recently graduated from the University of Evansville in May with a degree in exercise science. He is planning on continuing his education at UE beginning this fall as a member of the school's Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Joyce is also planning on assisting with the UE cross country program.
