GVSU Earns Both Indoor and Outdoor Women’s Scholar "Team of the Year" Awards

NEW ORLEANS – The women’s track & field team at Grand Valley State University was named Tuesday as Scholar Team of the Year in Division II for both the indoor and outdoor 2011 seasons by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). GVSU earned the distinction as a result of being the highest-placing team with at least a 3.00-cumulative team GPA at the most recent NCAA indoor and outdoor championship, respectively. For GVSU, the two plaudits add to the similar cross country distinction gained earlier in the year to form an academic “triple-crown”, matching the athletic “triple crown” won with sweep all three NCAA Division II Championships during the 2010-2011 school year.

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In addition, the USTFCCCA announced 74 squads as All-Academic teams for the track & field seasons.

In 2011, the Lakers won both indoor and outdoor NCAA Division II Championships by a wide a margin as part of their quest for a triple crown. Indoors, the Lakers took the national championship crown by 32 points. Outdoors, it was a margin of victory by 14½ points. In both cases, Grand Valley State won their first crowns in the respective sports.

Twenty Lakers were named last week as individual All-Academic recipients for the 2011 track & field seasons. Included in the list was Monica Kinney who won the mile and 5000 meters at the NCAA outdoor meet and scored runner-up honors indoors. 

Past Scholar-Team of the Year Winners:

Indoor Track & Field

2011: Grand Valley State

2010: Ashland

2009: Lincoln (Mo.)

2008: Adams State

2007: Lincoln (Mo.)

Outdoor Track & Field

2011: Grand Valley State

2010: Grand Valley State

2009: Lincoln (Mo.)

2008: Abilene Christian

2007: Lincoln (Mo.)

All-Academic Status Earned by 74 Teams

In addition to the Scholar Teams of the Year, the USTFCCCA also announced the women’s 2011 Division II All-Academic Track & Field Teams. A total of 74 institutions earned the distinction as a result of a cumulative team GPA of 3.00 or better.

Saint Leo reported the highest cumulative team GPA (3.66) in the nation among Division II women’s teams through the spring 2011 semester. Johnson C. Smith and Neb.-Kearney followed closely at 3.65 while Truman State had the fourth-best GPA reported at 3.63.

Twelve squads from the PSAC earned All-Academic Team status while six other conferences tied for second most with seven teams earning the honor.

Below are the GLIAC schools to be named USTFCCCA 2011 Division II Track & Field All-Academic:

Ashland University

The University of Findlay

Grand Valley State University

Hillsdale College

Lake Erie College

Michigan Technological University

Northern Michigan University