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USTFCCCA Announces Division I XC Scholar Teams of the Year
3/6/2009 12:00 AM | Cross Country
March 6, 2009
SALT LAKE CITY - The University of Utah cross country team was announced as the sixth best academic team amongst a total of 160 Division I women's programs to receive the 2008 USTFCCCA's All-Academic Team honors this year. The Utes have the sixth-highest grade point average in the country, the highest they've achieved while under the direction of head coach Kyle Kepler.
"This team prides itself in being great on the course and in the classroom," said Kepler. "I am very proud to be the coach of such a dynamic group of young women. It is another well deserved honor in what was a very memorable cross country season for everyone involved with the University of Utah. We would also like to thank the athletic academic support staff. They are a big part of this honor and we appreciate their efforts greatly."
Over forty-five percent of all Division I institutions (394) who sponsor women's cross country received the honor. This is a record number of schools the USTFCCCA has awarded; last year there were 158. Last year the Utes were 13th in the nation with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.62.
The Utes currently hold the highest team GPA in the Mountain West Conference with a 3.656, which places them sixth in the nation. The top-five schools are Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia (3.767), University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa (3.751), University of Idaho (3.730), Lipscomb University and South Dakota State tied for fourth (3.680), and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (3.664).
The MWC had eight of their nine cross country programs earn All-Academic honors from the USTFCCCA. Colorado State was the only other team in the conference to be ranked in the top 50 with a team GPA of 3.419, 49th highest GPA in the nation.
BYU had a team GPA of 3.410 for 52nd, Wyoming earned 59th with a GPA of 3.367, New Mexico tied with Pennslvania State for 71st (3.320), and TCU tied for 74th highest GPA (3.310) with Purdue and Viginia Tech. San Diego State finished 97th with La Salle University (3.170), and UNLV came in 101st with a team GPA of 3.150.
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 3.00 team cumulative grade point average.
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