Complete Release

TROY, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athletes Grace Tilton and David McWilliams have been selected to the 2013-14 Capital One National Academic All-America  Track & Field/Cross Country Teams. Tilton was named to the Women's First Team, while McWilliams garnered Men's Second Team.

Tilton (Concord, NH / Concord) is a senior with a 3.97 GPA as an aeronautical engineering major. She earned numerous academic honors, including the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Founders Award of Excellence, as well as the Leopold L. Balleisen Prize, honoring a Rensselaer senior student-athlete who has won a varsity letter in at least one sport during two undergraduate years and who stands highest academically in the senior class. She had a NASA JPL Summer Research Fellowship and was inducted into Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society.

In indoor track this season, Tilton set a personal record, a school record and a New York State Association record in the mile at the NCAA Championship Meet, finishing fourth in a time of 4:56.01 to garner National All-America. A captain in cross country, she earned automatic qualification to Nationals by winning the NCAA Atlantic Regional, breaking her own course record with a time of 21:07.0. At the NCAA Championship, she ran the 6K event in 22:20, which was an even 6:00 minute mile pace, to finish 63rd out of the 280 competitors. In addition to finishing first in the NCAA Atlantic Regional, she won the Liberty League Championship (21:23). She was a four-time Liberty League Performer of the Week, an All-Region choice and the Liberty League and Women's Atlantic Regional Athlete of the Year.

McWilliams (West Harwich, MA / Harwich) is a senior aeronautical engineering major with a 3.97 GPA. He is active outside of athletics with Order of Omega, national Greek Honor Society, and Ensemble Congeros, an Afro-Cuban/New World percussion ensemble. He has interned with The Boeing Company, conducting ground and flight testing, and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, where he was part of a structural dynamics group. McWilliams, who is already working towards a Master's degree, also interned at GE Aviation in manufacturing operations to produce jet engine combustors.

As a thrower, he had two top-5 finishes in the indoor weight throw and nine top-5 finishes outdoors while setting two personal records. He won the hammer throw at the New York State Outdoor Championship with a PR of 55.16 meters. He also established his college best in the weight throw with a toss of 14.64 meters at the NYS Indoor Championship. McWilliams also threw the javelin for the Engineers, placing as high as fourth at the Upstate Track & Field Classic (48.10 meters). His season best throw with the javelin was 48.58 meters, which took place at the state meet.