Award History
NAIA mXC All-Academic Athletes2021 NAIA Men’s Cross Country All-Academic Athletes
NEW ORLEANS – The Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year and All-Academic Athletes for the 2021 NAIA Cross Country season were announced on Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Zouhair Talbi of Oklahoma City was named the Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year for the 2021 NAIA Cross Country season. Talbi, a junior from Tighassaline, Khenifra, Morocco, who majors in Exercise Science & Human Performance, won the individual title at the 2021 NAIA Cross Country Championships in Vancouver, Washington. Talbi is the third athlete in a row from Oklahoma City to be named Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year, joining Shimales Abebe in 2020 and Mark Shaw in 2019.
Overall, there were 49 men from 16 different institutions who were named All-Academic Athletes for their efforts during the 2021 season.
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.