SOMERSET, N.J. – Saint Francis women's track & field/cross country athlete Shannon Cody has been recognized with one of the Northeast Conference's highest academic honors as the recipient of NEC Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Cody completed her collegiate career with a 4.0 GPA, graduating in three years with a degree in accounting. Cody was active in SAAC, serving on the organization's executive board. The honor for Cody gives the Red Flash a share of the prestigious award for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

"For the last three years Shannon has epitomized what it means to be an outstanding student-athlete," said head coach Douglas Hoover. "She was dedicated to both her academic goals and her athletic aspirations. She did an amazing job of balancing those two things, while serving as a leader on our teams. I'm so excited to see where her talents and work ethic take her in life."

Cody ended her 2021 outdoor track season by posting a personal best in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Northeast Conference Championships, in which the Red Flash captured its first conference title since 2005. In addition to her fifth-place finish at the conference meet, Cody won the steeplechase at the Mount St. Mary's Invitational this past April and secured a silver medal one week later at the Mount's 33-48 Meet.

The Exton, Pennsylvania, native ran on Saint Francis U's sixth-place DMR at the 2020 NEC Indoor Championships and also posted a top-20 finish at the 2019 NEC Cross Country Championships. Cody has accepted a position as an Auditor with Kearney & Company in Alexandria, Virginia and plans to take the CPA exam.

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To learn more about Saint Francis University, visit francis.edu.