USTFCCCA Announces 2017 Cross Country All-Academic Honors

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has announced their list of All-Academic honorees for the 2017 season. Among those receiving recognition are eight combined St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference programs and four student-athletes.

Three SLIAC men's programs and five women's programs were received the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award with Greenville University, Principia College, and Webster University doubling up on the award with both their men's and women's programs receiving honors. The Fontbonne University women's team held the highest grade-point average in all of NCAA Division III. 

The Greenville men's team finished with a GPA of 3.34 while the women's team held a 3.83 mark; both teams are coached by Brian Patton.

Principia, coached by Sedge Southworth, saw their men's team finish with a 3.49 GPA and the women finish with a 3.68 average. The men's team included three individuals to receive All-Academic honors as well: Zachary Matthiesen, Nate Richards, and Shane Witters Hicks. 

The Webster men's team held a 3.18 team GPA while the women's team held a 3.39 average. Both programs are coached by Dan Graber. 

The Fontbonne women's cross country team, coached by Chris Buckler, led all women's programs with a 3.94 grade-point average.

Westminster, coached by Mark Bollinger, made the list as well with their women's team holding a 3.10 grade-point average. Jessica Kuykendall was the lone SLIAC women's cross country student-athlete to receive individual honors. 

For a team to be considered for this distinction, it must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional meet and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.10 on a 4.0 scale. Johns Hopkins and North Central (Ill.) were the highest finishing teams for their respective genders, hence their winning of the award. 

There were 668 student-athletes named USTFCCCA All-Academic with women accounting for 55 percent of that total number (368). In order to qualify for this honor, student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 and finish in the top 25 percent of their respective regional championship meet.

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