PORTLAND, Ore. - A total of 70student-athletes – 31 men and 39 women - have been named to the 2012 Great Northwest Athletic Conference cross country all-conference academic team.

Heading up the academic squad are three athletes – Joe Berger of Saint Martin’s and  Bryn Haebe and Christi Schmitz, both from  Alaska Anchorage – with perfect 4.00 GPAs.  Helen Crofts of Simon Fraser has a 4.15 in the Canadian grading system which awards 4.33 points for an A+.

Ten athletes – Micah Chelimo and Miriam Kipng’eno of Alaska Anchorage; Marit Rjabov and Heather Edic of Alaska Fairbanks; Jon Swanson of Central Washington; Mary Owen of Montana State Billings; Jesse Baggenstos of Northwest Nazarene; Joseph Patti of Saint Martin’s; Connor Kasler of Western Oregon, and Mary Rogers of Western Washington – were named to the team for the third year in a row.

To qualify for the academic team athletes must have a minimum GPA of at least 3.20 and competing in at least their second season at their respective universities.