GVSU, Western State Named Men’s Scholar Teams of the Year for Division II Among All-Academic Teams

NEW ORLEANS – The Grand Valley State and Western State men’s track & field programs have earned Scholar Team of the Year honors for the 2013 Division II indoor and outdoor seasons, respectively, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Wednesday.

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As the highest-placing teams with at least a 3.00 cumulative team grade point average at this season’s indoor and outdoor NCAA Division II Championships, these two squads stood out among 42 men’s programs that combined academic and athletic achievement to earn All-Academic Team honors this season. The full list can be found below.

The Lakers of Grand Valley State maintained a 3.00 cumulative team GPA and finished fourth at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships with 43.5 points behind 10 different scoring performances. GVSU’s relay teams were particularly strong, with third-place finishes in both the 4×400 and the distance medley relays.

GVSU last won the indoor Scholar Team of the Year in 2007, when they swept both the indoor and outdoor awards.

Outdoor Scholar Team of the Year honors went to Western State, which maintained a 3.12 cumulative team GPA en route to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Mountaineers’ 36 points came largely through wins at both 5000 and 10,000 meters by Gabe Proctor and a win at 1500 meters by outdoor track Scholar Athlete of the Year Vegard Olstad.

This marks the second consecutive season Western State has earned outdoor Scholar Team of the Year honors, and the third time since 2007.

Johnson C. Smith Posts Top Team GPA Among 42 All-Academic Teams

The USTFCCCA also announced Tuesday the 2013 Division II All-Academic Track & Field teams. A total of 42 institutions earned the distinction as a result of earning a cumulative team GPA of 3.00 or higher.

Johnson C. Smith was the top team in Division II with a cumulative team mark of 3.448, followed closely by Sioux Falls at 3.424 and Bentley at 3.33.

In terms of conferences, both the NSIC and GLIAC were represented by six teams apiece. The GNAC and GLVC each had five teams earn All-Academic Team honors, while the RMAC had four.