Women’s Cross Country Program Cited For Academic Achievement
The UW-Oshkosh women's cross country program continues to be recognized for its academic performance.
Head coach Eamon McKenna's Titans compiled a 3.44 cumulative grade point average (GPA) this past fall semester to earn praise from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for the fifth straight year.
A total of 212 NCAA Division III women's cross country programs ended the 2019 fall session with a 3.10 GPA or better, including Chatham University (Pa.) which owned the top mark at 3.86. Anderson University (Ind.) ranked second to the Cougars with a 3.84 GPA while Massachusetts Institute of Technology listed third at 3.82 and both Crown College (Minn.) and Middlebury University (Vt.) fourth at 3.81.
Other WIAC programs honored for their academic success were UW-Stevens Point at 3.63, UW-La Crosse at 3.62, UW-Eau Claire at 3.57, UW-Stout at 3.51, UW-Platteville at 3.41 and UW-Whitewater at 3.29.
Johns Hopkins University (Md.) recorded a 3.58 GPA and was named the NCAA Division III Scholar Team of the Year for the sixth time in eight seasons. The Blue Jays won their sixth Division III title this past November in Louisville, Ky.
Individually, UW-Oshkosh had senior Ashton Keene named to the USTFCCA's All-Academic Team.
Keene, who owns a 3.90 cumulative GPA as a Spanish Education major, earned All-America honors this past fall with her 39th-place finish at the Division III Championship. Keene completed the 6,000-meter race of 280 runners in a time of 22:13 to become UW-Oshkosh's first All-American since Cheyenne Moore finished eighth at the national meet in 2017.
Keene also placed 17th last fall at the Division III Midwest Regional, 13th at the WIAC Championship, second at the Lawrence University Gene Davis Invitational, 15th at the UW-Parkside Vic Godfrey Open, 26th at the UW-Eau Claire Blugold Invitational and 58th at the UW-Oshkosh Kollege Town Sports Invitational.
Keene's performance helped UW-Oshkosh finish third in the team standings at the WIAC Championship and seventh at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional.
In order to be eligible for All-Academic recognition, student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of least 3.30 and finish in the top 25 percent at their respective regional meet. A total of 378 student-athletes received All-Academic honors, including 18 from the WIAC.
Parley Hannan of Ithaca College (N.Y.) was named the USTFCCA's NCAA Division III Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
2019 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Awards • NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country
2019 USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual Awards • NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country