NEW ORLEANS, LA. - Belmon's men's and women's cross country teams and Gardner-Webb's men's team were each named to the 2007 NCAA Division I U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Teams, it was announced on Tuesday.
Belmont's men's team had the highest overall team grade point average in the nation with a 3.57. O The men's team was also named to the list last season. Gardner-Webb’s men’s cross country team also earned All-Academic status. The Runnin’ Bulldogs compiled a team GPA of 3.20. Seven members of the 2007 team earned All-Academic honors from the Atlantic Sun.verall, 98 men's Division I programs received the USTFCCCA's academic honor, which is just under a third of all Division schools that sponsor men's cross country (299).
The Belmont women's team finished second in team GPA with a 3.77 average, one-one hundreth of a point behind South Florida. The Bruins were one of 158 Division I women's programs received the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honor. There are 325 teams in Division I that sponsor women’s cross country. Of the 158 teams on the list, 35 of them had team GPAs over 3.50, including Belmont, who had a GPA of 3.61. This is the eighth consecutive year the team has received this honor.
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.
Earlier in the week, Belmont University cross country student-athletes Kipkosgei Magut and Lauren Williams-Weaver were named to their respective 2007 NCAA Division I U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic teams.
Both teams won Atlantic Sun Championships in the fall of 2007. The title was the sixth consecutive championship for the men's team and the women's team won their sixth in seven seasons.