Lions named USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
This is the 14th time in school history that Mars Hill Men’s Cross Country has earned Team All-Academic recognition.
NEW ORLEANS, La.- For the second consecutive season, the Mars Hill Men's Cross Country team earned U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team recognition and ranks as the men's program with the 24th highest cross country team GPA in the country.
This is the 14th time in school history that Mars Hill Men's Cross Country has earned Team All-Academic recognition. As a team, the Lions checked in with a 3.50 GPA.
There are five male Lions who have earned the individual Academic All-American honors for all four years of their competition.
- James Thompson (2002-2005)
- Eric Blackburn (2009-2012)
- Nathan Jones (2013-2016)
- Brandon Beard (2014-2017)
- Gil Gilreath (2014-2017)
A total of 298 student-athletes representing 99 institutions made up the Individual All-Academic list. To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country team in Division II, a student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or better through the most recent semester, completed at least 12 credit hours in the semester of cross country competition and placed in either the top 50 percent at the most recent NCAA Championship or top 30 percent at the NCAA Regional Championships.
There were 19 South Atlantic Conference student-athletes who were recognized on the All-Academic Men's Cross Country team.
A total of 111 institutions were recognized as Team All-Academic performers. To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team, the team must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better and have compiled a team score at their respective NCAA regional championship.
Eight out of 13 schools in the South Atlantic Conference earned All-Academic Team Recognition.
