PBC Cross Country Teams, Student-Athletes Receive Academic Recognition

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Four Peach Belt Conference teams and 10 individuals were recently honored by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for their excellence in the class as well as on the course. The Georgia College & State University men’s and women’s cross country teams as well as the men’s team from Clayton State and the women’s team from USC Aiken were recognized with an All-Academic Team award while five men and five women were named All-Academic.

Any cross country team with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher qualified for the team award. The GCSU women maintained a 3.410 while USC Aiken had a 3.350. On the men’s side, Clayton State carried a 3.020 while GCSU maintained a 3.210.

For an individual to be named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic team, he or she must have completed at least 12 semester/quarter hours through the semester of competition at the institution to be eligible. The student-athlete must have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade point average and have placed in the top 30% of the total number of athletes eligible to compete at the respective regional championships, or in the top 50% of the field at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.

The PBC women’s honorees were (major in parentheses):
Heather Raines, GCSU (Rhetoric)
Bonnie Ueltzen, GCSU (Health Sciences)
Ivy Ramsey, UNC Pembroke (Physical Education)
Kara Kreutzer, Augusta St. (Biology)
Andrea Whitaker, Columbus State (Nursing)

The PBC men’s honorees were:
Fidelis Mutiso, Clayton State (Math)
Au Nguyen, Clayton State (Business)
Roger Hagues, Columbus State (Business Administration)
Stewart Helton, Columbus State (Biology)
David Marley, Columbus State (Exercise science)

243 women and 138 men from the Division II ranks were named to the All-Academic teams.