Charlotte’s Riley Felts Recognized For Exceptional Athletic And Academic Contributions
Riley Felts has been named as one of 10 athletes to be awarded the title of NCAA Today’s Top 10, after a record-breaking pole vault career and outstanding academic record at Charlotte.
According to the NCAA, “The award recognizes former student-athletes for their exceptional athletic and academic achievements, as well as their contributions to their campuses and communities.
The Today’s Top 10 awardees were selected by the NCAA Honors Committee, composed of representatives from NCAA member schools and conferences, as well as nationally distinguished citizens, including past awardees.”
Felts was selected due to her wildly successful athletic career during her time at Charlotte, as well as shining in the classroom as an engineering major. Some of Felts’ achievements include:
- School record holder in both outdoor and indoor pole vault
- Three All-American honors (2023-24)
- 5x conference indoor championship titles (2019-22, 2024)
- 2x conference outdoor championship titles (2019, 2024)
- 2024 American Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year
- 2024 CSC First Team Academic All-American
- 2021 CSC Third Team Academic All-American
- 2x USTFCCCA All-Academic Team (2020, 2024)
- 3x CSC Academic All-District Team (2020, 2023, 2024)
- 2x Conference USA All-Academic Team (2021, 2023)
Felts’ senior year bookended one of the greatest careers in Charlotte’s athletic history. In the 2024 season Felts:
- Set school record for indoor pole vault (4.50m) at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships (Runner-Up at NCAA)
- Set school record for outdoor pole vault (4.55m) at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships (Runner-Up at NCAA)
- NCAA First-Team All-American honors (Indoor and Outdoor)
- AAC Conference Champion in both indoor and outdoor
- Named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
- CSC Academic All-American Team Honoree
- 2024 AAC Female Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Felts completed her 2024 season with a top-10 finish at the US Olympic Trials and was recently awarded a grant from USATF for emerging elite athlete development for travel and training costs.
Felts, and the rest of the NCAA Today’s Top 10 Awardees, will be celebrated at the NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tenn. on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.