Courtesy of Shippensburg Athletics

Macknair is an academic senior with a 4.0 cumulative GPA

Shippensburg University’s Chayce Macknair (Lewistown, Pa./Mifflin County) was named Thursday to the 2021-22 Division II Academic All-District 2 ® Track & Field Team, an award that recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performance in sport and in the classroom.

Macknair is an academic senior who is majoring in history and seeking social studies teaching certification. He has maintained a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average (GPA).

In the fall, Macknair became the first Raider in 41 years and only the second Raider ever to win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Men’s Cross Country Championship, claiming Most Outstanding Runner honors with an 8K race victory in 25:47.

In addition to his All-PSAC accolades, Macknair was a 2021 NCAA Championships qualifier after earning U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region honors by virtue of his ninth-place finish at the Atlantic Region Championships. He was selected the PSAC’s Fall Top 10 squad for his combined academic and athletic accomplishments.

In the winter, Macknair was named the PSAC Men’s Indoor Track & Field Rookie of the Year after winning two conference championships, finishing his debut indoor conference meet by winning the 3K title in 8:33.45 for a five-second victory and winning the 5K title in 15:09.84.

His top indoor marks included the conference’s fastest times of the season in the mile (4:14.35 / 4:17.59 at Alvernia), the 3K (8:27.83 at Penn State) and the 5K (14:36.96 at VMI). Macknair was eligible for the award as the 2021-22 season was his first year of athletic eligibility in the sport. He redshirted in 2019-20 and there was no season in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the spring, Macknair capped off his year as a conference place-winner in the 10K. He was the 2021 PSAC Champion in the event, making it back-to-back years he scored in the event during the outdoor season.

The Academic All-District ® Team is selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). District 2 includes all schools from the PSAC, Mountain East Conference (MEC) and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).

With Macknair’s selection, Shippensburg has now had at least one men’s Academic All-District ® Track & Field/Cross Country honoree for 13 consecutive years. He is one of four Raider track & field/cross country athletes to earn All-District honors in 2021-22 along with Drew Dailey, Stephon Brown and Leah Graybill.