Story courtesy of Calvin University Sports Information department.
For the second consecutive year, Tyler Johnson and Jonathan Ellis have received CoSIDA Academic All-District Honors in Division III men's track and field/cross country division.
2020 CoSIDA Academic All-District Cross Country/Track and Field Teams
Both individuals now advance to the national ballot and are eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
A senior, Johnson hails from Springfield, Illinois. He is a graduate of Pleasant Plains High School.
A three-time All-MIAA selection in cross country, Johnson took second at the 2019 MIAA Cross Country Championships, helping lead Calvin to its 33rd straight league title. Two weeks later he helped Calvin claim its 28th Great Lakes Regional title, placing third at the regional meet to earn Great Lakes All-Region honors. The following week he placed 28th at the NCAA III Championships to earn All-America honors while helping the Knights place 14th as a team. During the indoor season this winter, he captured MIAA crowns in the mile run to land a spot on the All-MIAA team. He later qualified for the NCAA III Indoor Track and Field Championships for the second consecutive year in the 5,000-meter run. He was later named to the 2020 USTFCCCA Great Lakes All-Region Indoor Track and Field Team.
Johnson was graduated from Calvin last weekend with a degree in mechanical engineering major while holding minors in business and mathematics. He is a seven-time member of the Calvin Dean's List and a three-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
Ellis hails from Baltimore, Maryland. He is a graduate of Towson High School. Ellis also produced a standout set of cross country and track and field seasons during the 2019-20 academic year. During the 2019 cross country season, he took first at the MIAA Championships to receive MIAA Most Valuable Runner honors and a spot on the All-MIAA First Team. He then placed 2nd at the Great Lakes Regional meet to land a spot on the Great Lakes All-Region team. At the NCAA III Championships, he placed 18th to claim All-America honors for the first time in his collegiate career.
During the indoor track and field season, he was the MIAA Champion in the 5,000-meter run while also taking third in the 3,000-meter run at the conference championships. He was later named the MIAA Indoor Track and Field Most Valuable Runner. He later qualified for the 2020 NCAA III Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 3000 meters and was named a USTFCCCA Division III All-American.
During the outdoor season last spring, he claimed an MIAA title in the 10,000-meter run to earn a spot on the All-MIAA team while helping the Knights capture their seventh straight MIAA outdoor title. He later landed a spot on the Great Lakes All-Region team and qualified for the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 10,000-meter run. At the national meet, he placed 19th.
At Calvin, Ellis is a computer science major with minors in computer science and mathematics. He is a five-time member of the Calvin Dean's List and two-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
