Emory Women's Cross Country Team Earns USTFCCCA All-Academic Honors

(Mar. 6) - The Emory University women's cross country team, a participant in the 2008 NCAA Division III Championships, has been recognized by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for excellence both in the classroom and on the running trails by earning the organization's All-Academic Team Award.

The Eagles of Head Coach John Curtin completed fall term with a team cumulative GPA of 3.550 and were one of record-total 156 Division III programs to earn recognition.  Another impressive fact is that 30 of the 32 teams in the championship field at this year's NCAA D-III Cross Country Championships were USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams.

To be eligible, a school must have compiled a team score at the NCAA Regional Meet and have a minimum 3.10 team cumulative GPA.  Emory finished second out of 24 teams at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional Championship.

Five Emory runners found their way on the USTFCCCA Women's All-Academic Team with seniors Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) and Natalie Waryck (Springfield, OH), junior Rebecca Flink (Loudonville, NY), sophomore Natalie Fenn (Evanston, IL) and freshman Tess Gallegos (Kennesaw, GA) the program's representatives. 

A total of 221 female student-athletes received the honor in 2008. 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.