Three members of the Emory University men's cross country and track & field teams were recognized Wednesday afternoon with their selections to the Academic All-America teams presented by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) organization.
Dawit Dean and Scott Masterson were chosen to represent the Eagles on the Second Team with Spencer Watry earning a Third Team berth. With the three selections, a total of 19 Emory student-athletes earned the distinction of being named a CSC Academic All-American during the 2024-25 school year – a school record for most honors in a single athletic calendar. In total, 246 Eagles have received the honor in Emory Athletics history.
To view the entire CSC Academic All-America teams for men's cross country and track & field, please click here.
Dean's final season saw he garner top honors inside the University Athletic Association as he was named the indoor Most Outstanding Performer in Running Events after setting a conference championship record in his win in the 800m and helped the 4x400m relay secure All-UAA honors. In the outdoor season, Dean was a catalyst in leading Emory to its first UAA title in a decade as he captured MVP honors once more after winning event titles in the 400m and 4x400m relay and was fourth in the 800m. Dean racked up five combined USTFCCCA All-Region honors and at the NCAA Championships in May, he saved his best race for last as he ran to a national runner-up finish in the 800m to garner All-America acclaim. At the conclusion of his career, Dean holds school records in the indoor 600m dash, 800m run, 4x200m relay and distance medley relay as well as outdoor records in the 800m run and 4x400m and 4x800m relays.
Masterson finished his Emory career on a high note as he was a First Team All-American in the DMR at the indoor championships and represented the Blue & Gold at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 1500m. He was a three-time USTFCCCA All-Region choice and earned All-UAA status in the indoor DMR. His outdoor season also saw him smash the program record in the 1500m run with a time of 3:46.25 at the Emory Final Qualifier. For cross country, Masterson claimed his second straight All-Region honor as he was the Eagles' top performer at both the regional and national championships.
In his final season with the Eagles, Watry was instrumental in leading the Eagles to the outdoor track & field UAA championship as he served as team captain and collected a pair of All-UAA finishes in the 800m and 1500m. He secured All-America honors with the DMR at the indoor championships and was a Second Team All-American in the 800m during the outdoor season. Additionally, he collected four All-Region nods in track and was an All-Region honoree in cross country as well as the Eagles' top finisher at the UAA Championships in the Fall. He concludes his career as the program record holder in the indoor mile and DMR as well as in the outdoor 4x800m relay, and earlier this month, Watry was chosen as a recipient of the prestigious NCAA postgraduate scholarship.
The graduate duo were two of five Eagles to earn CSC Academic All-District honors earlier this summer, joining Caleb Bunch and Marcus Cheema, with select student-athletes proceeding to be placed on the All-America ballot for voting. CSC Academic All-America Teams are nominated and voted on by College Sport Communicators and Sports Information Directors across all Division III institutions.
The CSC Academic All-America team recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. To be nominated, student-athletes must be a key member of their respective teams and maintain at least a 3.50 grade point average or higher.
