Cross Country Teams, Individuals Honored by USTFCCCA for Academic Success

NEW ORLEANS -   The Swarthmore College cross country teams received a slew of awards from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for their performance on the trail and in the classroom this past season. Each team earned 2011 Division III All-Academic Cross Country status while senior Melissa Frick and junior Jacob Phillips were named to the USTFCCCA 2011 NCAA Division III All-Academic Cross Country Teams for the their respective programs.

To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team,  a team must have a cumulative team GPA of 3.10 through the 2011 fall semester. On the men's side, a total of 131 institutions representing 34 conferences composed the All-Academic group, while 187 institutions representing 38 conferences made up the women's side.

For an individual to qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team, a student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or greater through the most recent semester and placed in the top 35 at the NCAA Regional Championships.

Frick finished 17th overall with a time of 23:39 in the NCAA Mideast Regionals meet in November.  Frick's finish earned her a spot on the All-Region team while just missing an at-large selection to the NCAA National meet.

Phillips finished 7^th place with a time of 25:43 at the NCAA Mideast Regionals, which earned him an automatic slot at the NCAA Division III Championship race.  Phillips' sensational season also included a 10^th place finish at the Centennial Conference Championships, first place finish in the Dickinson Invitational Long Run, and a selection to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Team.

Frick and Phillips joined 141 other student-athletes representing 80 institutions across the country in earning All-Academic honors for the 2011 Division III cross country season.

Click here for the official USTFCCCA Release.