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Feb 26, 2009

Women's XC Duo and Team Awarded All-Academic Honors


Maddy Kieselhorst

Two Pomona-Pitzer women's cross country runners have been named to the 2008 United States Track and Field / Cross Country Coaches' Association Cross Country All-Academic Team, the USTFCCCA announced on February 26. In addition the Sagehen women's team earned All-Academic Team honors.

Junior Alicia Freese, an International Relations major, and senior Maddy Kieselhorst, a Political Economy majory, earned All-Academic honors for a combination of their running prowess and classroom acumen. Freese took third in the West Regional meet and earned All-American honors at the National meet by placing 22nd, while Kieselhorst took 11th at Regionals and 128th at Nationals.

A total of 219 Division III female student-athletes received the 2008 USTFCCCA Cross Country All-Academic honor, up 16 from last year's total.  103 Division III institutions are represented on this year's All-Academic team, led by Washington University (Missouri), which placed six student-athletes on the team.

The award honors those student-athletes who have succeeded both academically and athletically.  To be eligible for the award a student-athlete must carry a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average and must finish in the top 25 percent of the field at their respective NCAA regional meet.

For the team award, a record total of 156 Division III women's programs received the USTFCCCA's All-Academic Team honors this year compared to 141 schools from last season. Pomona-Pitzer's cumulative GPA of 3.375 easily placed them on the list.

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 Pomona-Pitzer, which finished 22nd at the National meet.

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.