Feb. 17, 2011
NEW ORLEANS – The Vanderbilt men’s and women’s cross country teams earned Academic All-America with Honors recognition, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) this week.
For both teams, this is the fifth consecutive year they have been named to the All-American field. The women’s team compiled a 3.44 GPA for the fall semester while the men posted a 3.37 GPA.
“Both teams work very hard at school,” said Vanderbilt cross country head coach Steve Keith. “They have high academic goals that match well with their athletic goals. It’s a real pleasure to work with these student-athletes.”
Also announced were individuals who earned Division I All-Academic Cross Country status. Sophomore Jordan White was selected to the list of 99 student-athletes who have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 and have either earned USTFCCCA All-America status or finished in the NCAA region’s top 15 (or 10 percent) in 2010. White placed 11th at the NCAA South Regional this past fall with a time of 20:25.15.
“Jordan is the first cross country all-academic for our program in my five years at Vanderbilt,” said coach Keith. “She had a breakout cross country season where she was named All-SEC, All-Region and a national qualifier, and an equally successful semester in the classroom, all of which we are very proud.”
A record total of 152 men’s teams and 192 women’s teams received USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors, an increase of 33 teams from last season.
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. Teams who post above a 3.20 GPA are recognized as all-academic teams with honors.