PHILADELPHIA – Recent La Salle graduate and track standout Alfredo Santana has been named a CoSIDA/Capital One Third Team Academic All-American, it was announced today. Santana, who recently secured All-America honors in the 1500m at the NCAA Championship earlier this month, is the fourth Explorer athlete to receive both All-America and CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America in a career.

"This is a great honor for Alfredo and one that he has worked very hard for both in the class room and in practice," head coach Dan Ireland said. "It is only fitting that he is one of four La Salle athletes to ever garner both All-American and Academic All-American as he is certainly on the best individuals to ever compete for the Explorers."  
 
The recognition wraps up an outstanding career of one of La Salle's most decorated distance runners. In addition to becoming an All-American this June, Santana is one of two runners all-time to win Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Performer Awards in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. His four A-10 Most Outstanding Performer Awards are tied for the most in league history.
 
Santana owns seven A-10 Championships overall. He won two titles each in the indoor 3k, indoor 5k and one each in cross country, the outdoor 5k and the outdoor 10k.
 
A four-time NCAA qualifier, including this year in the outdoor 1500m, Santana has also excelled in the classroom. He is a four-time Academic All-Atlantic 10 honoree and a USTFCCCA Scholar All-American in 2013. Santana was also named CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District in 2014.
 
Earlier this month, he was the commencement speaker at his high school alma mater, Nueva Esperanza. Santana graduated with a 3.32 GPA in psychology.
 
He joins women's soccer standouts Kelsey Haycook and Renee Washington, and men's track runner Brian Gallagher as the only Explorers to receive All-America and CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America honors.
 
Santana is the 34^th La Salle student-athlete to receive CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America honors and the 11^th in the past five years.  

He is one of two Atlantic 10 men's track athletes to be recognized, joining Duquesne's Jim Spisak.