XC Honored By USTFCCCA For Academics
2/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
NEW ORLEANS - The Baylor men's and women's cross country teams earned All-Academic honors from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, USTFCCCA officials announced Friday.
This is the fifth-straight season in which BU has had both of its teams recognized.
The award honors teams which have succeeded both academically and athletically. To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country team, the team must have had a cumulative team GPA of 3.00 or better and have started at least five runners at their respective NCAA regional championship.
Meanwhile, Maggie Montoya and Peyton Thomas garnered individual USTFCCCA All-Academic honors. The Baylor men posted a 3.41 team cumulative GPA in 2015 and had seven athletes make the Academic All-Big 12 team. In competition, the Bears were seventh at the Big 12 Championships and at the regional level BU had their best finish since 2010 by placing sixth.
On the women's side, the Lady Bears had a cumulative 3.35 GPA. BU had nine selections to the league's academic squad. On the course, the women were eighth at the Big 12 Championships and fourth at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships.
Individually, Montoya and Thomas were two of 160 women's student-athletes to earn the academic accolade nationally. In order for a student-athlete to qualify for the honor, they must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 and finished in the top-25 (or 10 percent) at regionals or as an All-American at the national meet.
Montoya, a junior health science studies major, earned the honor for a second-straight season. She was BU's top runner throughout the year and advanced to the NCAA Championships individually by placing second and earning all-region honors at the NCAA South Central Regional in a season-best 6,000-meter time of 19:50.5. She also garnered All-Big 12 honors by taking fifth at the conference race.
Thomas, a junior environmental science major, tallied the first All-Region honors of her career by placing seventh at the NCAA South Central Regional in a season-best 6,000-meter time of 20:10.5. She produced scoring performances and was BU's second-fastest runner in all five of her races of the cross country season.
To stay current on all things Baylor cross country, follow the team on Twitter: @BaylorTrack.
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