All-Academic Teams & Scholar Teams of the Year – 2018 NAIA Track & Field

NEW ORLEANS – Scholar Teams of the Year and All-Academic Team honors for the 2017-18 NAIA Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field seasons were announced Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Those teams that stood out the most during competition and in the classroom were the men of Doane (Neb.) and Saint Mary (Kan.) and the women of Northwestern (Iowa) and Oklahoma City.

In order to be in contention for Scholar Team of the Year, a program must finish well at the respective national championship meet and have at least a 3.00 cumulative team GPA.

Doane (Neb.)’s men nabbed the Men’s Indoor Scholar Team of the Year honor after finishing 17th at the NAIA Indoor Championships and maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.35.

Saint Mary (Kan.)’s men took home the Men’s Outdoor Scholar Team of the Year honor after finishing 7th at the NAIA Outdoor Championships and maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.17.

Northwestern (Iowa)’s women nabbed the Women’s Indoor Scholar Team of the Year honor after finishing sixth at the NAIA Indoor Championships and maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.42.

Oklahoma City’s women took home the Women’s Outdoor Scholar Team of the Year honor after finishing seventh at the NAIA Outdoor Championships and maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.31.

All-Academic Teams

All told, 45 teams were honored for their academics by the USTFCCCA.

Breaking it down further, 25 of those were women’s teams, compared to 20 men’s programs.

The highest cumulative GPA of any team was earned by Concordia (Neb.)’s women at 3.71.

Here are the criteria to be an All-Academic Team in NAIA Track & Field:

1. The cumulative GPA for all student-athletes on the institution’s eligibility certificate for Indoor and/or Outdoor Track and Field must be 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period, certifiable by either Faculty Rep or Compliance Coordinator or Registrar’s Office.

2. The cumulative GPA of all student-athletes on the institution’s eligibility certificate for Indoor and/or Outdoor Track and Field must be computed by the following method:

1. Total the cumulative number of semester hours or quarter hours earned for all student-athletes on the eligibility certificate including the most recent grading period;

2. Total the cumulative number of quality points earned by all student-athletes, including the most recent grading period;

3. Divide the cumulative number of quality points earned by the cumulative number of semester or quarter hours earned.

4. Institutions utilizing a different GPA scale than 4.0 then must convert the GPA to a 4.0 scale using the standard conversion method [GPA/Scale x 4.0].