Friday, January 27, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. – A total of 24 GNAC student-athletes have been honored as 2022 Division II Cross Country All-Academic Athletes by the U.S. Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Eleven men’s athletes and 13 women’s athletes from eight conference institutions were recognized. To qualify as an All-Academic Athlete, student-athletes must have a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale and finish in the top 30% on their respective regional championship meet.

The GNAC honorees include the conference two individual champions in Alaska Anchorage sophomore Coleman Nash and Alaska sophomore Kendall Kramer. The list also includes Nanooks sophomore Naomi Bailey, who won the NCAA West Regional Championships, and 10 GNAC athletes that competed at the NCAA Division II Championships.

Western Washington led all GNAC programs with eight honorees (five men, three women). Simon Fraser and Western Washington were the two conference program to have both men’s and women’s athletes honored.

In addition to the individual awards, 15 of the conference’s 18 teams were recognized by the USTFCCCA as All-Academic Teams. In order to qualify as an All-Academic Team, teams must own a cumulative 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period, and compile a team score at their respective regional championship meet. The honored teams include all but one of the GNAC’s women’s cross country programs.

A total of 745 student-athletes were named as USTFCCCA Division II All-Academic Athletes, including 417 women and 328 men. A total of 248 Division II teams, including 146 women’s programs and 122 men’s programs, were named All-Academic Teams.

USTFCCCA DIVISION II CROSS COUNTRY ALL-ACADEMIC ATHLETES
GNAC HONOREES
MEN
Alaska Anchorage: Jesus Avalos, Coleman Nash, Michael Zapherson
Montana State Billings: Ase Ackerman, Logan Straus
Simon Fraser: Henry Ruckman-Utting
Western Washington: Jeret Gillingham, Jalen Javurek, George Karamitsos, Kevin McDermott, Andrew Oslin

WOMEN
Alaska: Naomi Bailey, Rosie Fordham, Kendall Kramer
Saint Martin’s: Alauna Carstens, Sara Sabra, Cassidy Walchak-Sloan
Seattle Pacific: Matise Mulch
Simon Fraser: Emily Chilton
Western Oregon: Katie Chapman, Luz Garcia
Western Washington: Mia Crocker, Marian Ledesma, Meaera Shannon

USTFCCCA DIVISION II CROSS COUNTRY ALL-ACADEMIC TEAMS
GNAC HONOREES
Men: Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington, Saint Martin’s, Seattle Pacific, Western Oregon, Western Washington
Women: Alaska, Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington, Montana State Billings, Saint Martin’s, Seattle Pacific, Simon Fraser, Western Oregon, Western Washington