Feb. 27, 2008

LOGAN, Utah -

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Utah State's men's and women's cross country teams received the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Academic Award, announced by the association this week.

For a team to be considered for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award, they must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional Meet. The team must also have a minimum 3.00 team cumulative grade point average.

"One of the things we stress on our cross country teams is academic success in the classroom, and this is further verification that the student-athletes are putting the emphasis on the student part of that title and collectively doing the right things," USU head coach Gregg Gensel said. "They're utilizing their opportunity that they are here to get an education."

A total of 87 schools had both their men's and women's teams honored.

"We've done that before, when both teams get honored, it just goes to show how this is a collective effort and everyone is working hard together," Gensel said.

The Utah State men were one of three Western Athletic Conference teams honored, joined by Fresno State and Idaho, while one of four teams from the state of Utah, joined by BYU, Southern Utah and Weber State.

The Aggie women were one of four WAC teams recognized along with Fresno State, Hawai'i and Idaho, while they were one of five Utah teams honored with BYU, Southern Utah, Utah and Weber State.

Overall, 98 men's Division I programs received the USTFCCCA's academic honor, which is just under a third of all Division schools that sponsor men's cross country (299).

In all, 158 Division I women's programs received the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honor. There are 325 teams in Division I that sponsor women's cross country. Of the 158 teams on the list, 35 of them had team GPAs over 3.50, including Utah State, who has a 3.66 team GPA.

These awards add to the teams' academic honors, which included seven women named to the academic all-WAC team while four men earned academic all-WAC recognition.