Monmouth College cross country and track standout Anthony Welty of Dixon has been selected to the 2004-05 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country Second Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

To be eligible for the award, an athlete must meet a minimum grade point average, be at least a sophomore, and have outstanding credentials in competition.

Welty, who will enter his senior season this fall, was one of only four non-seniors chosen for the first or second teams. A business and public relations major, Welty is the son of Joseph and Jean Ann Welty of Dixon and a graduate of Newman Central Catholic High School.

Monmouth cross country and track and field coach Roger Haynes is amazed at Welty’s dedication to convert from an 800-meter runner to a dominant cross country and distance runner.

“Anthony is the unquestioned leader in the improvement of our distance program over the past three years,” said Haynes. “His dedication and work ethic serve as a model for all runners on our team. His desire and willingness to do whatever is necessary has taken Anthony from an average high school runner to a standout collegiate performer in the distance events.”

Welty owns Monmouth’s fifth fastest time in cross country at four miles and was named to the All-Conference team after his eighth place finish last fall. In track, he was a part of Monmouth’s distance medley team that holds the school record for both indoors and outdoors. Welty also holds the school record in the 3,000-meters for outdoors, while he has the fifth fastest time in the same event indoors. Welty, who has been named Academic All-Conference five times, took second in the 5,000 at this year’s conference outdoor meet.

Welty is the fifth athlete at Monmouth to receive ESPN The Magazine District V academic honors in the last five years. The others were basketball players Melissa Jones (Second team, 2003), Amber Kuhrts (first team, 2001), and Jeff Stenoish (second team, 2001) and football player Matt Lerner (second team, 2001, third team, 2002).