Colorado University Athletics
Six Buffs Garner USTFCCCA All-Academic Honors
February 19, 2016 | Cross Country, Herbst Academic Center
NEW ORLEANS — The University of Colorado men's and women's cross country teams placed six individuals on the USTFCCCA's All-Academic Teams for the 2015 season.
Junior Ben Saarel recorded his third USTFCCCA Academic honor after placing 31st at the NCAA Championships for his third straight All-America athletic honor. A double major in engineering physics and computer science, Saarel has accumulated an impressive 3.962 GPA.
Senior Morgan Pearson earned his second academic honor with a 3.451 GPA. The economics and mathematics double major finished his cross country career with a 25th place finish at NCAAs for his second All-American honor.
The CU women placed four individuals on the academic team. Sophomore Kaitlyn Benner, a chemical and biological engineering major, has earned a 3.932 GPA for her second consecutive USTFCCCA Academic honor. She garnered her first All-American honor in 2015 after placing 16th at nationals. Junior Erin Clark, who placed 11th at nationals for her second All-American honor, has recorded a 3.519 GPA for her third straight USTFCCCA Academic award. She is majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology.
Another pair of Buffs took home academic honors. Senior Maddie Alm is double majoring in integrative physiology and psychology and has a 3.363 GPA, while redshirt sophomore Melanie Nun has tallied a 3.796 GPA while majoring in mathematics and economics. This is the second USTFCCCA All-Academic award for both Alm and Nun.
Honorees must have compiled a cumulative GPA or 3.25 or greater and must have finished as an All-American or among the 15 finishers (or 10 percent) in their regional meet. In total, 160 women and 90 men in NCAA Division I earned the honor.
As a team, the men and women also earned All-Academic honors. The men recorded a 3.100 cumulative GPA while finishing second at the NCAA Championships. The women, who were also the NCAA runner-up, recorded a 3.383 GPA. Both teams also won the Pac-12 and NCAA Mountain Region Championships. To qualify for the honor, teams must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
USTFCCCA Men's Cross Country All-Academic
|
Name |
Yr. |
Major |
Hometown |
|
Sr. |
Economics & Mathematics |
New Vernon, N.J. |
|
|
Jr. |
Engineering Physics & Computer Science |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
USTFCCCA Women's Cross Country All-Academic
|
Name |
Yr. |
Major |
Hometown |
|
Maddie Alm |
Sr. |
Integrative Physiology & Psychology |
Superior, Colo. |
|
So. |
Chemical and Biological Engineering |
Superior, Colo. |
|
|
Jr. |
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology |
Eugene, Ore. |
|
|
So. |
Mathematics & Economics |
Broomfield, Colo. |
