ADA – The East Central University Department of Athletics honored its 2016-17 student-athletes at the annual Athletics Night of Honors in Atalola Theater in the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center.
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The top awards for the year, Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, went to brother/sister duo, senior Richard Mora and sophomore Anna Mora from the ECU cross country and track & field teams.
"The ECU Scholar-Athlete of the Year demonstrates irrefutable success as a student and as an athlete. We look at their performance in their sport coupled with their performance in the classroom. We have many students who excel at one or the other, but this award is to celebrate the student who performs exceptionally high in both athletics and academics simultaneously", said Director of Athletics,
Dr. Jeff Williams. "Many times honorees are recognized by constituents within the ECU community, the Ada community, the Great American Conference, CoSIDA, coaches associations and the NCAA. To win a scholar-athlete of the year award is the embodiment of what being an all-around NCAA Student-Athlete is all about."
Richard Mora, a graphic design major with a 3.65, has been a standout for the Tigers for the past four years helping them to three-straight Great American Conference Championships. The 2015 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Region selection has also claimed All-GAC honors three of his four seasons in cross country. Richard Mora also helped start the track & field team at ECU and this season placed sixth in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the GAC Championships.
Anna Mora, an accounting major with a 3.94 GPA, has been a key runner for the cross country and track & field teams for the past two seasons. In 2016 she helped the team to their second GAC Championship and was the GAC Runner of the Year, finishing first overall at the event. The two-time All-GAC First Team pick has also been named to the 2016 USTFCCCA All-Region team where she finished 10
th individually at the NCAA Regionals. As a member of the track & field team she earned an All-GAC honors after finishing second in the 5,000 meters at the 2017 GAC Championship.
