Minnesota State, North Dakota Selected as 2008 Division II Men’s Track and Field Scholar Teams of the Year

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Tuesday the men’s 2008 Division II Track and Field Scholar Teams of the Year. Minnesota State University (Mankato) was selected as the 2008 Indoor Track and Field Scholar Team of the Year, and the University of North Dakota was chosen as this year’s Outdoor Track and Field Scholar Team of the Year.

Minnesota State capped off a stellar indoor campaign with a seventh place finish at the 2008 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships in March. That finish followed a North Central Conference (NCC) indoor conference championship that saw the Mavericks score an astounding 284 points. Minnesota State faired equally well in the classroom in 2008, with a 3.02 team cumulative GPA.

“We are very honored to receive this award, and it’s a great reflection on our program and Minnesota State. We feel that our academics still come first. That is the priority that we have as a program and everything falls into place,” said Minnesota State head coach Mark Schuck.

In addition to Indoor Track and Field Scholar Team of the Year Minnesota State, five other teams with top-25 national finishes at the 2008 Division II Indoor Championships earned All-Academic Team honors for their academic and athletic performance.

North Dakota closed its Division II era with a bang, earning the 2008 Outdoor Track and Field Scholar Team of the Year honors after finishing 13th at the 2008 Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The Fighting Sioux move to Division I in all sports for the 2008-09 school year.

“It is what the student athletes do in the classroom that has earned them this honor. I appreciate the efforts that they put forth in the classroom,” said North Dakota head coach Michael Grandall.

North Dakota is joined on the All-Academic Team list by two additional top-25 outdoor finishers, Fort Hays State and Truman State.

DIVISION II ALL-ACADEMIC TRACK AND FIELD TEAMS

In addition to the Scholar Teams of the Year, the USTFCCCA also announced the men’s 2008 Division II All-Academic Track and Field Teams. A total of 27 Division II programs made up the men’s 2008 All-Academic Teams.

The University of Tampa led all institutions with a 3.42 team cumulative GPA, followed by Seattle Pacific with a 3.41 team GPA. The University of Tampa’s women’s team also achieved the highest cumulative GPA in 2008.

The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) led all conferences with five teams selected as All-Academic Teams for 2008, followed closely by the NCC with four team selections. Both the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference placed three teams on the All-Academic Team list.

The selection of the All-Academic Indoor and Outdoor Scholar Teams of the Year award is based on a combination of academic and athletic achievements, with the top honor going to the team that had the combination of best overall finish at the Division II Indoor or Outdoor National Championships and cumulative GPA.

To be nominated, the team must carry a minimum 3.000 cumulative grade-point average.

The 2008 USTFCCCA Division II Men’s All-Academic Track and Field Teams