Bayer is IU’s first Academic All-American for men's track, cross country
June 21, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- It seems that in everything he does, Andy Bayer makes history. The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) has announced the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America men's track and field/cross country teams, and Bayer has earned third team honors. A sophomore, Bayer is the only underclassmen honoree in the University Division. A biology major with a 3.56 grade point average, Bayer is the first Academic All-American ever at Indiana in men's track and/or cross country. He is the 80th in all sports at IU.
Indiana director of track and field and cross country Ron Helmer said that Bayer symbolizes what the ideal of a student-athlete is all about.
"Andy is great to work with because he has a ton of talent and he does things the right way with a great attitude," said Helmer. "He is what you want a student-athlete to be. On the track, he is one of the best athletes in the country, and in the classroom he holds himself to the same high standard. We have two more years with Andy, and we're excited to have the opportunity to be a part of his continued growth as an athlete and as a person."
Bayer, a sophomore from Leo, Ind., led the nation indoors in the 3,000 meters with a best time of 7:48.35, a school record. He scored 21 points at this year's Big Ten Indoor Championships - winning the 3,000 meters, finishing second in the mile, and finishing sixth in the 5,000 meters - to earn Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year honors. At the NCAA Indoor Championships, Bayer took third in the 3,000m and anchored IU to second in the distance medley relay. His 1,600 meter anchor-carry at NCAAs was finished in 3:53.29, which is the fastest relay split on record at any level. The Hoosiers finished seventh as a team at the NCAA meet. With 14 points in the meet, Bayer has 22 NCAA meet points in his career, tying himself with Mark Deady for 18th all-time at IU.
At the Big Ten Cross Country Championships, Bayer took the lead with 250 meters to go and would have taken the win if the course were a foot shorter. Landon Peacock of Wisconsin out-leaned Bayer at the line to win by 0.5 seconds. It was the best Hoosier finish since Bob Kennedy won the meet in 1992. He led the Hoosiers to second at Big Tens and then helped IU to seventh at the NCAA Championships. Bayer also was awarded the Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship award.
Next up for Indiana track and field are the USA Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon on June 22-25.
