2018 NCAA DI Cross Country Individual Academic Awards

NEW ORLEANS – There is a first time for everything, especially when it comes to being named NCAA Division I Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year.

That was the case for Morgan McDonald and Jessica Hull, as well as the programs they represent. McDonald and Hull, who both starred at the 2018 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships back in November and most importantly, in the classroom, were named the Men’s and Women’s Scholar Athlete of the Year, respectively.

USTFCCCA NCAA DIVISION I ALL-ACADEMIC HISTORY

There were 267 student-athletes who earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors with women accounting for 58.4 percent of the total (156). Arkansas led all programs with 13 combined individuals honored, including all seven of its women.

In order to qualify for All-Academic distinction, student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale and finish in the top-25 (or 10 percent) at the NCAA Regional Championships or as an All-American at the NCAA Championships.

McDonald is the first Wisconsin athlete to be named Scholar Athlete of the Year, the first male athlete from the Big Ten Conference to be named Scholar Athlete of the Year and just the second athlete, period, from the Big Ten to be named Scholar Athlete of the Year (Angel Bizzarri from Illinois was the Women’s Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2009).

After choosing to redshirt the 2017 season, McDonald came back with a vengeance in 2018. McDonald won individual titles at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, at the Big Ten Championships and most notably, the NCAA Championships on his home course in Madison.

Hull is the first Woman of Oregon to be named Scholar Athlete of the Year and is the first female athlete from the Pac-12 Conference to earn the honor as well (Men from the Pac-12 have won a staggering nine out of a possible 13 awards, including four in a row from 2014 to 2017).

It was a senior season to remember for Hull, who finished third at the NCAA Championships this past November. Hull won an individual title in the Cardinal Race at the Wisconsin Pre-National Invitational and took runner-up honors at both the Pac-12 Championships and the West Region Championships.

There were 27 athletes who earned a perfect cumulative GPA of 4.0, including 20 women.

The full list of student-athletes honored by the USTFCCCA can be found below.

2018 NCAA DIVISION I CROSS COUNTRY – ALL-ACADEMIC INDIVIDUALS