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NEW ORLEANS – Virginia’s women’s cross country team was named a 2008 NCAA Division I USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) today.
For a team to be considered for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award, they must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional Meet. The team must also have a minimum 3.00 team cumulative grade point average.
The Cavalier women – compiling an overall 3.400 team cumulative GPA – put in an impressive season for Virginia this past fall, finishing 26th at the NCAA Championships. The Cavaliers earned an automatic bid into the national championships by winning their first-ever Southeast Regional Title, led by all-region performers senior Lauretta Dezubay, freshman Morgane Gay and redshirt sophomore Stephanie Garcia. Dezubay and Garcia also earned All-ACC honors for their top-10 finishes at the conference meet, leading the squad to a tie for fourth place with a nationally ranked Duke team.
The trio, in addition to junior Samantha Stafford, was honored by the conference at the conclusion of the season for their work in the classroom, being named to the All-ACC Academic Cross Country Team.
University of South Carolina had the highest overall team grade point average (3.767). Over forty-five percent of all Division I institutions (394) who sponsor women’s cross country received the honor. In addition, seven of the top 10 teams – and 14 of the top 20 teams – at this year’s NCAA Championships were named USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams. A record total of 160 Division I women’s programs received the USTFCCCA’s All-Academic Team honors this year compared to 158 schools from last season.
The Big East Conference and Big Ten Conference tied for the most conference members represented on the list with 11 teams each, followed by the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12 Conference with nine teams each and the Atlantic Coast Conference with eight teams on the list.