Award History
NAIA mXC All-Academic Athletes2020 NAIA Men’s Cross Country All-Academic Athletes
The Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year and All-Academic Individuals for the 2020 NAIA Cross Country season were announced on Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Shimales Abebe of Oklahoma City was named the Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year. Abebe, a freshman from Los Angeles, with a 3.25 GPA in Criminal Justice, finished runner-up earlier this month at the 2020 NAIA Cross Country Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This is the second year in a row that an athlete from Oklahoma City has earned the honor (Mark Shaw).
Overall, there were 142 men who were named All-Academic Individuals in the NAIA.
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 qualify for the national championship meet.