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National Academic Honors for Williams Men's & Women's Cross Country09:05AM / Wednesday, March 04, 2009
NEW ORLEANS – Williams College has been named the 2008 NCAA Division III USTFCCCA Men’s Cross Country Scholar Team of the Year, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Tuesday. Williams receives the 2008 USTFCCCA All-Academic honor after finishing third overall at the 2008 NCAA Division III Cross Country National Championships. The Ephs also won the New England Championships and its third straight New England Small College Athletic Conference Championship prior to nationals.
In the classroom, the Ephs maintained a 3.360 cumulative team grade point average. While this is the first Scholar Team of the Year honor for Williams, the institution has made the USTFCCCA All-Academic team list every year since 2005.
"The qualities you need to succeed in cross country – discipline, time management and being able to work individually – are the same qualities you need to succeed in the classroom," noted Eph head coach Peter Farwell. "We're very fortunate to be able to attract good runners who work hard in training and in the classroom."
While this is the fourth consecutive year the Ephs have been recognized as a USTFCCA Academic Team honoree, the Ephs have a streak of 17 straight years of earning a national team academic award having previously been honored by the NCAA Division III Coaches since 1992.
Grinnell College had the highest overall team grade point average; 3.650. 103 Division III men’s cross country programs received the 2008 USTFCCCA All-Academic team award. Five of the 103 schools finished in the top ten at the national meet, while 14 of the top 20 teams at the national meet were represented on the USTFCCCA All-Academic team list.
Williams’ conference affiliate, the NESCAC, qualified eight men’s programs on the list as did the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), and the University Athletic Association (UAA). The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) each had seven conference programs on the men’s USTFCCCA All-Academic team list.
For a team to be considered for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award, they must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional Meet. The team must also have a minimum 3.10 team cumulative grade point average.
In addition to the team award junior Corey Watts and first year Anthony Raduazo were accorded individual honors by being named USTFCCCA Cross Country Scholar-Athletes.
Ephs claim 17th consecutive XC Academic Team award/4 Individuals honored
A team GPA of 3.5 with four members being honored for earning individual academic honors from the USTFCCA has led to Williams College women's cross country earning a 17th consecutive national team academic award.
The 13 previous national team academic awards came from the NCAA Division IIII coaches association. The last four awards have come from the USTFCCCA.
Sophomore Meghan Shea in being recognized individually by the USTFCCCA joined senior Robin Kuntz, juniors Jessica Clarke and Elly Teitsworth.
Forty-percent of all Division III institutions (394) who sponsor women’s cross country received the honor. In addition, 30 of the 32 teams in the championship field at this year’s NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships were named USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams, including every team who finished in the top ten.
The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) had the most conference members represented on the list with 11 teams, followed by the NESCAC with nine schools. Five conferences were tied with eight each; the Centennial Conference, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, the University Athletic Association, and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
For a team to be considered for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award, they must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional Meet. The team must also have a minimum 3.10 team cumulative grade point average. |
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