Mueller, Chance Selected as Google Cloud Academic All-Americans

COLUMBIA, S.C. — University of South Carolina track & field and student-athletes Allie Mueller and Arinze Chance were named to the Google Cloud Academic All-America team, as Thursday by CoSIDA. This is the second season in a row that Mueller has been selected to the Academic All-America squad, and she is a first-team selection. Chance is a first-time honoree and a third-team pick.

Mueller joins an elite list that includes Jenny Lake (2004-05), Elliott Haynie (2009-10), Marvin Reitze (2011-12) and Jeannelle Scheper (2014-15) as Gamecocks to earn two Academic All-America nods. Chance is the 14th different Gamecock to earn the distinction since 1998.

“Allie and Arinze are a wonderful people who deserves every accolade they receive,” South Carolina head coach Curtis Frye said. “When we talk about the right way of doing things, on and off the track, we’re talking about the way Allie and Arinze do it. I’m thrilled especially for Allie, that she can call herself an All-American for the second year in a row.”

Mueller once again shined as one of Carolina’s top distance contributors in 2018-19. In cross country, she posted 11th-place finishes at both the Carolina Challenge and the Joe Piane Invitational, and she helped the Gamecocks earn their highest NCAA Southeast Regional finish since 2013.

When the season shifted to indoor track, Mueller was Carolina’s top runner at 1500m and was a huge part of a historic season for the distance medley relay. The Beaverton, Ore., native was part of four different DMR efforts that finished on Carolina’s all-time top-10 list and led the squad to a fifth-place finish at the SEC Championships, their best result since 2005.

Mueller capped her Carolina career with an outstanding outdoor track campaign. She posted the team’s fastest times of the season at both 800m and 1500m while leading the 4x800m relay to a victory at the Black & Gold Challenge. In her last trip to Penn Relays, the senior led off for the distance medley relay and helped the squad set a new outdoor school record, 11:39.22.

A pharmaceutical studies major, Mueller carries a perfect 4.00 GPA. She ends her career as a seven-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection, and she helped the Carolina cross country team finish as a USTFCCCA All-Academic squad in each of the last four years.

“Allie truly is the best example of a model student-athlete that I can think of,” said South Carolina distance and women’s cross country coach Andrew Allden. “Over her four years, she developed into a high-level athlete who made a difference at the SEC level, and she was leader who served as team captain. She also manages a challenging academic schedule brilliantly, carrying a 4.00 GPA. I could not be prouder of her.”

Led by Mueller, the Carolina women’s track & field and cross country program posted a 3.31 GPA for the 2019 spring semester. Mueller was one of 82 Gamecock student-athletes to earn a spot on the University of South Carolina President’s List.

On the track, Chance earned All-America honors both indoors and outdoors. He set a Guyanese national record in the 400m by running 46.15 at the Gamecock Inaugural, and he went on the qualify individually for the NCAA Indoor Championships. He also led off for the 4x400m relay, which finished fifth in the nation, earning first-team All-America status.

Outdoors, Chance again brought home All-America honors in the 4x400m relay, helping the Gamecocks finish eighth in the nation. He was an NCAA East Regional qualifier in the 400m and also scored for the Gamecocks at the SEC Championships.

Chance holds a 3.66 GPA as a global studies major. The Georgetown, Guyana, native set the tone as the Carolina men finished the spring semester with a 3.14 GPA.