Army West Point Athletics
CEP Scholar-Athletes Announced for October
October 29, 2021 | General, Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Women's Rugby
This marks the first time in the 2021-22 academic year that a trio has been recognized, as the duo of Jacob Suppiah and David Dickerson was honored in September. Each month, the Academic Support team will continue to announce the honorees.
Nicole Wantlin - Senior - Women's Rugby - Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.
CDT Wantlin anchors the women's rugby team as the starting flanker – a critical position within the forward pack. She currently maintains a 3.76 cumulative GPA as a geospatial information sciences honors major, one of the highest on the team's roster and second among her classmates. The model of consistency in the classroom, she has made the Dean's list and earned an Academic Star in each of her six semesters at the academy thus far – a feat she is on track to repeat this fall.
Wantlin has a strong presence in the GIS major and she is recognized by the faculty in the department as an excellent contributor in the classroom. She is the cadet that instructors can count on to always prepare and provide insightful comments to help develop her peers. As an example of her academic qualities, her independent study work pertaining to the use of small UAS's to support Army initiatives in Alaska to understand the impact of climate change in the arctic region so impressed the Superintendent that he hand-selected her to present her work at the 2021 AUSA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.Â
The senior is a stellar example of academic excellence among her teammates, constantly going above and beyond to help others away from the pitch by serving as the Team Academic Advisor, tutoring in her own spare time and ensuring those struggling with their workload and classes have a plan of action to succeed. In addition to her academic prowess, she excels in the military and physical domains, maintaining a 3.396 and a 3.491 cumulative score in each, respectively.
Wantlin has been instrumental in the team's success this season. Having started and played nearly every minute of every game, she has been the workhorse of the forward pack. A formidable presence in the rucks and on defense, she has made a staggering 90% of her individual tackles in the last 5 contests, a statistic for most that hovers in the 65-75% range. Her natural charisma and leadership abilities are why she was selected to serve as Company Honor Officer for her cadet company in addition to her responsibilities to her team.
Georgia Jones - Sophomore - Women's Cross Country - Mont Vernon, N.H.
CDT Jones is an international affairs major with a GPA of 4.075 in the spring term, which contributed to her overall academic GPA of 4.017. She wears the star (3.67+ academic GPA for 2+ consecutive semesters) and is in the top 10% of her class. Jones' cumulative GPA is 3.952, reflecting excellence in all the pillars. Additionally, she tutors with CEP and is CRLA (College Reading & Learning Association) certified. Jones was honored with the female physical fitness award during CFT 2 from the Master of the Sword and served as the CIC for CEP Physics tutoring and CIC for CY105 tutoring in spring term 2021.
To go along with her academic success, Jones has already had a storied career in her time with the Black Knights. During plebe year, she collected multiple Rookie of the Week honors which led to her earning Patriot League Cross Country Rookie of the Year in 2020. The two-time Patriot League Female Runner of the Week this season, she holds numerous course, facility and meet records, which includes the program's 5KÂ record. The Army-Navy meet record holder in the indoor 3K/5K races, as well as the outdoor 5K race, she is undefeated against the Mids on the track.Â
Jones recorded her all-time best in the 6K time this fall, running 20:14.6 in September. She has been the Cadets' top runner in every race that she has run so far.Â
Mike Smith, Director of Cross Country/Track & Field: "Georgia Jones is quietly putting together the kind of statistics that will clearly define her as the best female distance runner to ever run for West Point. She is equally accomplished in the classroom and in her leadership pillar. That consistent demonstration of excellence has defined her early tenure and in my opinion she is one of the brightest stars at the Academy."
Marshall Beatty - Senior - Men's Cross Country - Missoula, Mont.
CDTÂ Beatty is a philosophy major with a 3.659 cumulative GPA and owns a 3.8 Academic Program Score in this term. A captain of the men's cross country team, he has taken on two extra semesters to study Russian solely because he enjoys learning the language and studying the culture. His 3.67 cumulative Military Program Score is evidence that he is highly-engaged with his duties as a cadet-athlete.Â
Beatty is a three-time Patriot League Champion, having captured the cross country title in 2020, the 5K crown at the 2020 Outdoor Championship and the 10K title at the same meet. He finished second in the 5K at the IC4A/ECAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship this past season and will look to build upon his previous performances in his final season with the Black Knights.Â
Players Mentioned
