Men's Outdoor Track & Field Ryan Klinkner, Saint John's University Athletic Media Relations Director

Johnnies' McDowell caps senior year as an Academic All-American

CSC Release

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's University graduate Jackson McDowell '25 (Centennial, Colo./Arapahoe) was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America cross country/track and field third team on Wednesday, July 16.

Nominees must be a sophomore or better in terms of academic standing, with a 3.50 GPA or higher. Athletically, track and field nominees are based on their TFRRS performance list rankings and cross country submissions must finish in the top 50 of their respective NCAA Regional. The Academic All-District and All-America teams are voted on and selected by registered members of CSC.

SJU has now had seven CSC Academic All-Americans in cross country/track and field over the last five seasons.

McDowell graduated in May with a 3.66 GPA in global business leadership. He tied for third at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the high jump with an SJU record of 2.11 meters on his third and final attempt – SJU's best finish at nationals in the event. McDowell broke the program's indoor record with a mark of 2.14 meters to finish as the national runner-up in March and earned his first All-America honor with an eighth-place finish at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The 2024 season was the first in track and field for McDowell, who spent his first two years at SJU as a pitcher on the baseball team.

He earned All-America honors in all three of his national appearances, is a three-time MIAC champion in the high jump and five-time All-MIAC performer (four high jump, one javelin). McDowell is a two-time CSC Academic All-District and two-time Academic All-MIAC honoree.

SJU track and field finished second – by half a point, 207-206.5 – out of 11 teams at the 2025 MIAC Outdoor Championships and third at the MIAC indoor meet. SJU qualified six athletes in six events at the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships and finished fourth out of 73 teams. The Johnnies collected a program-record six top-eight finishes across the three-day meet and seven total All-America performances.

McDowell's CSC Academic All-America honor is the fifth for SJU during the 2024-25 academic year: senior Zach Frank (football), Aaron Syverson '24 (football), Ryan Thissen '24 (basketball) and senior Dylan Wheeler (football).