NCAA Champ Nelson Named 2012 Division III Cross Country Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year

NEW ORLEANS – Tim Nelson of UW-Stout was named the USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year for the 2012 cross country season by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). This fall, Nelson was the individual winner of the DIII NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Scholar Athletes are determined from among those who earned All-Academic status and placed highest individually at the most recent NCAA Championships.

USTFCCCA NCAA Division III
Cross Country Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year – Tim Nelson, UW-Stout

Nelson, a senior business administration major from Augusta, Wis., has earned a 3.701 cumulative grade point average through the 2012 fall semester.

En route to winning the individual title at the DIII NCAA Championships Nelson led nearly the entire race apart from a few minutes at the very beginning. He crossed the line in the 8k race in 24:26.80, eight seconds ahead of runner-up Bobby Over of Allegheny.

In the lead-up to the NCAA Championships he also captured the individual crown at the NCAA Midwest Regional and the WIAC title by about 25 seconds over the next-closest finisher. He also added an individual DIII title at the Roy Griak Invitational, and finished in the top 40 of the adidas Wisconsin Invitational among top-flight DI talent.

Past Winners

2012: Tim Nelson, UW-Stout
2011: Ben Sathre, St. Thomas (Minn.)
2010: Anders Hulleberg, Haverford
2009: Ricky Flynn, Lynchburg
2008: Brian Chenoweth, Wartburg
2007: Chris Erichsen, Saint John’s (Minn.)
2006: Will Leer, Pomona-Pitzer

162 Earn All-Academic Status

In addition to the Scholar Athlete of the Year, the USTFCCCA also announced those men who earned 2012 Division III All-Academic Cross Country status.

A total of 162 student-athletes represent the 85 institutions that compose the group. Calvin led all teams in both genders and all divisions with seven named to the All-Academic list. Pomona-Pitzer and UW-La Crosse followed among DIII men’s squads with five. The UAA picked up the most nods among conferences with 16. The SCIAC was second-most among conferences with 15.

Twelve of the top 25 finishers from the NCAA Cross Country Championships in the fall earned All-Academic honors. Seven on the All-Academic list reported cumulative GPAs of 4.0 through the fall semester.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the 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.

USTFCCCA 2012 Division III Men’s Cross Country All-Academic Honorees