Four members of the Virginia Tech men’s track and field squad earned All-Academic honors Thursday, as the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA) announced it’s 2010 Division-I Men’s All-Academic Team. Hasheem Halim (So., Lilburn, Ga.), Michael Hammond (So., Midlothian, Va.), Matej Muza (Sr., Zagreb, Croatia), and Alexander Ziegler (Fr., Dischingen, Germany) all received national recognition for their achievements on and off the track.

Halim is an architecture major at Tech and competed in the long and triple jumps during the 2010 outdoor season. He qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round after earning a fifth-place finish in the triple jump at the ACC Outdoor Championships.
Hammond, a psychology major, earned a bid to the NCAA East Regionals during the 2010 outdoor season after earning a season-best 3:42.17 in the 1,500 meters at the Georgia Tech Invite and earning second-team all-ACC honors (4:00.02). Hammond was an Indoor ACC Champion in the mile, winning at 4:10.36.

Muza, a geography major, was named the 2010 ACC Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was named to the 2010 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Men’s Track & Field Second Team. He finished second in the hammer throw at the ACC Outdoor Championships, fourth at the NCAA East Preliminary Round, and concluded his Tech career finishing 11th in the hammer throw at the NCAA Championships.

Ziegler, a business major, was named the 2010 ACC Male Field Performer of the Year behind a career-best 237-7 in the hammer throw, placing second at the NCAA Championships nabbing his first All-America honor. Ziegler was the ACC Indoor hammer throw champion as well, earning a top mark of 73-10.25.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and have met either the NCAA Division I Indoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard or participated in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships (including preliminary rounds) in their respective event.

Men’s team academic honors will be announced Monday, with women’s team honors to follow Wednesday.