March 9, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina cross country team has earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors after posting the top team GPA in the nation with a 3.767 earned in the fall semester.
Head cross country coach Stan Rosenthal’s team has consistently excelled in the classroom and has earned the All-Academic Team honor each of the past three seasons. Out of the 394 Division I institutions that sponsor cross country, Rosenthal’s teams were No. 14 in 2006 and No. 6 in 2007 before earning the top GPA for the Fall 2008 season.
“I am very happy that we are number one in the country,” Rosenthal said. “The team really is focused on their academics. They have also been bringing that same attitude to their training. Almost everyone racing has reached a lifetime best in either cross country or indoor track this year. This will be a hard act to follow for next year. It shows the caliber of student-athletes these women are.”
To be honored as an All-Academic Team, teams were required to compete and compile a team score in an NCAA Regional Meet and have at least a cumulative GPA of 3.0. Nine Southeastern Conference teams received All-Academic Team honors, with South Carolina posting the highest team GPA. Twenty-two cross country members also earned academic honors from the University as 11 were named to the President’s List (4.0 GPA), eight were named to the Dean’s List (3.50 GPA upperclassmen, 3.25 GPA freshman) and an additional three were named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (3.00 GPA).
“I want to congratulate our team and Stan for an outstanding job,” South Carolina track and field head coach Curtis Frye said. “I also need to thank (Academic Advisor) Renia Edwards for all that she does and making sure our kids get all the things necessary to help them achieve this great goal. We want to be number one in the country in all areas. We thank our kids for taking pride in what they’re doing and putting forth their best effort. They also progressed in cross country this year and improved, and we’re going to continue to improve in cross country. Stan has done an outstanding job, and we look forward to another great year.”
President’s List honors were awarded to Julie Baldwin, Danielle Barnes, Ashley Evens, Erin Fedewa, Sara Hartley, Elizabeth Heath, Chelsea Leroux, Tara Lindeman, Layna Roycraft, Amanda Smith, Tara Tae and Shannon Walls. The eight members on the Dean’s List were Kelsey Bristol, Vanessa Hartmann, Lisa McKinney, Laura Pramstaller, Laura Regensburg, Megan Robers, Alyse Shayer and Katie Walls. Making the AD Honor Roll was Amanda Barrett, Beatrice Biwott and Cassity Brewer.
Forty-nine University of South Carolina student-athletes were named to the President’s List – 11 coming from the cross country team – which honors students with a perfect 4.0 GPA, and 124 student-athletes were named to the Dean’s List.
