Williams College Named USTFCCCA Division III Men’s Cross Country Scholar Team of the Year

NEW ORLEANS – Williams College has been named the 2008 NCAA Division III USTFCCCA Men’s Cross Country Scholar Team of the Year, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced on Tuesday.  Williams receives the 2008 USTFCCCA All-Academic honor after finishing third overall at the 2008 NCAA Division III Cross Country National Championships.  The Ephs also won the New England Championships and its third straight New England Small College Athletic Conference Championship prior to nationals.

In the classroom, the Ephs maintained a 3.360 cumulative team grade point average.  While this is the first Scholar Team of the Year honor for Williams, the institution has made the USTFCCCA All-Academic team list every year since 2005.

Grinnell College had the highest overall team grade point average; 3.650.  103 Division III men’s cross country programs received the 2008 USTFCCCA All-Academic team award.  Five of the 103 schools finished in the top ten at the national meet, while 14 of the top 20 teams at the national meet were represented on the USTFCCCA All-Academic team list.

Williams’ conference affiliate, the NESCAC, qualified eight men’s programs on the list as did the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), and the University Athletic Association (UAA).  The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) each had seven conference programs on the men’s USTFCCCA All-Academic team list.

For a team to be considered for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award, they must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional Meet.  The team must also have a minimum 3.10 team cumulative grade point average.

The 2008 NCAA Division III USTFCCCA Men’s All-Academic Team