NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Junior
Owen Karas (Columbus, Ohio) of the Yale men's cross country and track and field teams has been named CSC Academic All-America for the 2024-25 season. The organization announced the awards on Wednesday, with a total of 45 student-athletes nationwide honored at the Division I level – 15 on the first team, 15 on the second team and 15 on the third team. Karas made the second team.
A psychology major, Karas was named USTFCCCA Academic All-District in track and field last month. This past year, he set four school records:
- 1500m outdoors (3:37.52)
- Mile indoors (3:58.37)
- 3K indoors (7:51.68)
- 5K indoors (13:53.27)
That helped him earn Yale's James Stack '61 Award as MVP for the 2024-25 track and field season. He also earned Yale's Outstanding Middle-Distance Runner Award in track and field for the second straight season. His 1500m time outdoors this year ranked No. 25 nationally. He has advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals in the 1500m outdoors in each of the last two seasons.
Karas was part of Yale's first-place finish in the distance medley relay (9:37.35) at the 2025 Ivy League Indoor Championships, earning first team All-Ivy League recognition in the process. He placed second in the 1500m (3:43.44) at the 2025 Ivy League Outdoor Championships to earn second team All-Ivy in that event.
Karas also shined in cross country season, placing 22nd overall as Yale's top finisher this past fall (30:30.48 for the 10K) at the NCAA Northeast Regional. He has competed at the Ivy League Heptagonal Cross Country Championships three times in his career, with a best finish of 15th in 2023 (24:31.5 for the 8K).
In addition to his academic and athletic efforts, Karas has served as a care provider at I Am Boundless, working with a blind adult with autism and epilepsy.
A 2024 USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete for track and field, Karas is a graduate of St. Charles.
