March 8, 2010
NEW ORLEANS, La. - The University of Alabama men's cross country program has been named to the 2009 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Monday for their outstanding performances in the classroom as well as on the course. The Crimson Tide finds itself among the All-Academic Team honorees with a cumulative team grade point average of 3.08.
"We are very pleased to be recognized by the coaches association for our work academically last semester," cross country coach Joe Walker said. "This past fall was one of the best in our school history and knowing that the group achieved not only athletic, but academic success as well, led us to accomplishing all of our primary goals as a group."
On the course, Alabama has put together the best two years in school history over the past two seasons. The Tide has claimed back-to-back SEC Championships, becoming the first school other than Arkansas to do so since Tennessee in 1989-90.
At the regional level, Alabama has won the NCAA South Region title five consecutive years and seven of the past 10 years. Furthermore, the Tide earned its highest team finish at the NCAA Championships last season when it placed third overall. In 2008, Alabama finished 10th at the national meet.
Oklahoma State University's men's cross country team was named the 2009 NCAA Division I USTFCCCA Men's Cross Country Scholar Team of the Year. The Scholar Team of the Year distinction goes to the program that earned All-Academic Team honors and placed the highest among the field at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. A record total of 135 Division I men's programs received USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors, up from 2008's total of 110.
"I'm real proud of our program," head track and field coach Harvey Glance said. "We have always gone after the finest student-athletes that we can. We always look at their academics as criteria in recruiting and make sure they are very sound in that area. I believe this is about six or seven years in a row that we've won this award. I couldn't be more proud of our guys because they know how much emphasis we put on academics as well as athletic achievement. This is a really positive honor for the university as well for our program."
The ACC and SEC topped all other conferences with eight institutions earning the academic plaudit. Six other conferences had seven members mentioned.
Four of the top five and seven of the top-10 teams at the NCAA Cross Country Championships earned the honor. In addition, regional champions from all eight of the nine NCAA regions claimed All-Academic honors.
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 Championship and also have a minimum 3.00 team cumulative GPA.
USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country All-Academic Teams, 2009
|
INSTITUTION
|
CONFERENCE
|
GPA
|
|
Creighton University
|
Missouri Valley Conference
|
3.67
|
|
Vanderbilt University
|
Southeastern Conference
|
3.67
|
|
Wagner College
|
Northeast Conference
|
3.6
|
|
Charleston Southern University
|
Big South Conference
|
3.56
|
|
DePaul University
|
Big East Conference
|
3.56
|
|
University of Dayton
|
Atlantic 10 Conference
|
3.56
|
|
Utah Valley University
|
Great West Conference
|
3.55
|
|
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
|
Missouri Valley Conference
|
3.54
|
|
University of Miami (Florida)
|
Atlantic Coast Conference
|
3.54
|
|
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
|
Southern Conference
|
3.52
|
|
Yale University
|
Ivy Group
|
3.52
|
|
New Mexico State University
|
Western Athletic Conference
|
3.5
|
|
Lipscomb University
|
Atlantic Sun Conference
|
3.49
|
|
Southeast Missouri State University
|
Ohio Valley Conference
|
3.48
|
|
University of Cincinnati
|
Big East Conference
|
3.48
|
|
Appalachian State University
|
Southern Conference
|
3.46
|
|
University of San Francisco
|
West Coast Conference
|
3.45
|
|
University of Tulsa
|
Conference USA
|
3.45
|
|
Arizona State University
|
Pacific-10 Conference
|
3.44
|
|
Colgate University
|
Patriot League
|
3.44
|
|
Indiana State University
|
Missouri Valley Conference
|
3.44
|
|
Western Kentucky University
|
Sun Belt Conference
|
3.44
|
|
Mississippi State University
|
Southeastern Conference
|
3.43
|
|
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
|
Big 12 Conference
|
3.43
|
|
Utah State University
|
Western Athletic Conference
|
3.43
|
|
Weber State University
|
Big Sky Conference
|
3.43
|
|
University of Detroit Mercy
|
Horizon League
|
3.42
|
|
Lehigh University
|
Patriot League
|
3.41
|
|
Miami University (Ohio)
|
Mid-American Conference
|
3.41
|
|
Austin Peay State University
|
Ohio Valley Conference
|
3.4
|
|
Harvard University
|
Ivy Group
|
3.4
|
|
Rutgers University, New Brunswick
|
Big East Conference
|
3.4
|
|
California State University, Fresno
|
Western Athletic Conference
|
3.39
|
|
Fordham University
|
Atlantic 10 Conference
|
3.39
|
|
Stanford University
|
Pacific-10 Conference
|
3.38
|
|
Belmont University
|
Atlantic Sun Conference
|
3.37
|
|
Duke University
|
Atlantic Coast Conference
|
3.37
|
|
Davidson College
|
Southern Conference
|
3.36
|
|
University of Evansville
|
Missouri Valley Conference
|
3.36
|
|
University of Louisville
|
Big East Conference
|
3.35
|
|
Binghamton University
|
America East Conference
|
3.34
|
|
University of Richmond
|
Atlantic 10 Conference
|
3.34
|
|
Loyola University Chicago
|
Horizon League
|
3.33
|
|
Rice University
|
Conference USA
|
3.32
|
|
Wichita State University
|
Missouri Valley Conference
|
3.32
|
|
Butler University
|
Horizon League
|
3.31
|
|
Iowa State University
|
Big 12 Conference
|
3.31
|
|
Lafayette College
|
Patriot League
|
3.31
|
|
Brigham Young University
|
Mountain West Conference
|
3.3
|
|
Brown University
|
Ivy Group
|
3.3
|
|
Drake University
|
Missouri Valley Conference
|
3.3
|
|
University of Portland
|
West Coast Conference
|
3.3
|
|
Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
|
The Summit League
|
3.29
|
|
Louisiana State University
|
Southeastern Conference
|
3.29
|
|
Loyola College (Maryland)
|
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
|
3.29
|
|
Cornell University
|
Ivy Group
|
3.28
|
|
Indiana University, Bloomington
|
Big Ten Conference
|
3.28
|
|
Northeastern University
|
Colonial Athletic Association
|
3.28
|
|
University of South Alabama
|
Sun Belt Conference
|
3.28
|
|
Dartmouth College
|
Ivy Group
|
3.27
|
|
Eastern Washington University
|
Big Sky Conference
|
3.27
|
|
Sacred Heart University
|
Northeast Conference
|
3.27
|
|
University of Montana
|
Big Sky Conference
|
3.27
|
|
Winthrop University
|
Big South Conference
|
3.26
|
|
Clemson University
|
Atlantic Coast Conference
|
3.25
|
|
Fairfield University
|
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
|
3.25
|
|
Idaho State University
|
Big Sky Conference
|
3.25
|
|
Montana State University - Bozeman
|
Big Sky Conference
|
3.25
|
|
Purdue University
|
Big Ten Conference
|
3.25
|
|
Sam Houston State University
|
Southland Conference
|
3.25
|
|
Auburn University
|
Southeastern Conference
|
3.24
|
|
North Carolina State University
|
Atlantic Coast Conference
|
3.24
|
|
Santa Clara University
|
West Coast Conference
|
3.24
|
|
Stony Brook University
|
America East Conference
|
3.24
|
|
University of Maine, Orono
|
America East Conference
|
3.24
|
|
University of North Carolina, Greensboro
|
Southern Conference
|
3.24
|
|
University of Illinois, Champaign
|
Big Ten Conference
|
3.23
|
|
College of Charleston (South Carolina)
|
Southern Conference
|
3.22
|
|
Marist College
|
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
|
3.22
|
|
Syracuse University
|
Big East Conference
|
3.22
|
|
Columbia University
|
Ivy Group
|
3.21
|
|
Samford University
|
Southern Conference
|
3.21
|
|
Georgia Institute of Technology
|
Atlantic Coast Conference
|
3.2
|
|
Xavier University (Ohio)
|
Atlantic 10 Conference
|
3.2
|
|
George Mason University
|
Colonial Athletic Association
|
3.19
|
|
Northern Arizona University
|
Big Sky Conference
|
3.19
|
|
University of Missouri, Columbia
|
Big 12 Conference
|
3.19
|
|
University of Oklahoma
|
Big 12 Conference
|
3.19
|
|
Colorado State University
|
Mountain West Conference
|
3.18
|
|
Quinnipiac University
|
Northeast Conference
|
3.18
|
|
Stephen F. Austin State University
|
Southland Conference
|
3.17
|
|
Bradley University
|
Missouri Valley Conference
|
3.16
|
|
Elon University
|
Southern Conference
|
3.16
|
|
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee</
|
