Award History
NCAA DI wXC All-Academic Athletes2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country All-Academic Athletes
NEW ORLEANS – The Women’s Scholar Athlete of the Year and All-Academic Athletes for the 2021 NCAA Division I Cross Country season were announced on Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Mercy Chelangat of Alabama was named the Women’s Scholar Athlete of the Year for the 2021 NCAA Division I Cross Country season. Chelangat, a senior from Kericho, Kenya, who majors in Public Health, finished runner-up at the 2021 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida. She is the first female athlete to win back-to-back Scholar Athlete of the Year honors in cross country since Abbey D’Agostino in 2012 and 2013.
Overall, there were 114 women from 58 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 finish in the top-25 (or 10 percent) at the NCAA Regional Championships or as an All-American at the NCAA Championships.