Five Paladins Garden All-Academic Honors; Furman XC Teams Earn All-Academic Status
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Five Paladin athletes garnered individual All-Academic honors, while the Paladin men’s and women’s cross country programs earned 2014 Division I All-Academic Team status as announced Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Individual athletes must have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or greater and must have finished among the top 15 finishers in their regional meet. Sophomore Tanner Hinkle, freshman Aaron Templeton, senior Tripp Hurt, sophomore Allie Buchalski, and senior Sinead Haughey earned All-Academic individual honors.
To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team, the team must have had a cumulative team GPA of 3.00 or better and have started at least five regional at their respective NCAA regional championship. The Paladin women’s team posted a cumulative team GPA of 3.26, while the men’s team has a cumulative team GPA of 3.27.
Chattanooga Cross Country Teams Posts Top 10 GPAs
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s and women’s cross country teams were ranked in the Top 10 for highest GPAs the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced today.
The men’s 3.72 grade point average was second only to Vanderbilt who posted a nation’s-best 3.74 GPA. Senior Patrick O’Brien, recipient of the Dayle May Award given to the senior with the highest GPA, has carried a 4.0 throughout his career at Chattanooga. Transfer Harry Smithers, a Master’s Candidate, also holds a 4.0 GPA. They were two of seven Mocs who posted perfect scores in the fall semester.
The women, with a 3.71 GPA, are tied for seventh behind South Carolina with a top GPA of 3.79, Oregon State (3.78), Montana (3.78), Southeast Missouri (3.77), DePaul and Drake with a 3.75 and Memphis with a 3.72. Senior Keeley Stewart was one of 13 members of the women’s team named to the Dean’s List and one of five with a perfect 4.0 GPA last semester.
The men, led by seniors Harry Smithers and John Gilpin, placed fifth at the Southern Conference Championships last fall. The women finished second behind Furman and saw seniors Amanda Cotter and Rebecca Greenwall named to the league All-Conference teams. The women finished 12th in the NCAA South Region with Cotter earning all-region honors with a 19th place finish.
This is the second time that both cross country teams have been ranked in the Top 10 at the same time. The men were the top ranked team in 2011 and the women were sixth, their highest-ever ranking. The men held the top spot last season and for the second time in three years were second.
WCU Men's and Women's Cross Country Teams Receive Academic Recognition
NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Western Carolina men's and women's cross country teams were honored today by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for their academic prowess. Both teams were named to 2015 Division I All-Academic Teams list. The men were one of 179 teams to receive the nod while the women were in a group of 226 teams.
To be selected you must have started at least five runners at an NCAA Division I Regional Cross Country meet during the most recent Cross Country season and have a cumulative team GPA at the end of the most recent semester/quarter of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period.
Six Southern Conference men's teams appeared on the list including Chattanooga, ETSU, Furman, Samford, VMI and Western Carolina. Western Carolina's men compiled a 3.14 GPA to earn the distinction.
Seven Southern Conference women's teams appeared on the list including Chattanooga, ETSU, Furman, Mercer, Samford, The Citadel and Western Carolina. Western Carolina's women compiled a 3.51 GPA to earn the distinction which ranked second in the conference behind Chattanooga who had a 3.71 GPA.
The Michigan State women and the Stanford men were named the USTFCCCA Division I Scholar Teams of the Year. Those two programs won their distinction by being the highest-finishing teams at NCAAs to have at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. Michigan State's women had a 3.39 team GPA and six All-Academic individuals, while Stanford's men had a 3.43 team GPA to go with three All-Academic individuals.