Middlebury Women's Cross Country Earns Scholar Team Award from USTFCCCA

Courtesy USTFCCCA

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The women’s cross country team at Middlebury College is the USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Women’s Scholar Team of the Year for the 2010 cross country season as announced Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Middlebury, who have now won the award for the third time in five years, picked up their sixth NCAA title in the sport this fall.

Scholar Teams of the year are determined from among those who earned All-Academic status and placed highest as a team at the most recent NCAA Championships.

For Middlebury, whose team has a 3.43 cumulative GPA through the fall, used a hard-fought eight-point victory over Washington (Mo.) to bring the squad their sixth NCAA Division III title in women's cross country this fall. Middlebury, who was coached by now-retired Terry Aldrich, won all of those six titles in a span of 11 championships with crowns in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, and, now, 2010.

Also in 2010, Middlebury would win a third-straight NCAA New England region title with a 33-point victory over Williams after placing all five in the race's top 20. The Panthers also won their third-straight and 11th overall NESCAC title in the season.

Past Winners
2010: Middlebury
2009: UW Eau Claire
2008: Middlebury
2007: Amherst
2006: Middlebury

In addition to the Scholar Team of the Year, the USTFCCCA also announced those women's teams who earned 2010 Division III All-Academic Cross Country status. A total of 167 institutions represent 35 conferences that compose the group. The MIAC led all conferences with 11 members earning All-Academic honors and was followed by the WIAC and NESCAC which had nine listed.

Whitworth reported the highest cumulative GPA among All-Academic honorees with a 3.76. Hendrix followed with a 3.73.

Nine of the top ten finishing teams at the 2010 NCAA Cross Country Championships earned All-Academic status. Of the 32 teams that participated in the national final, 28 of those earned All-Academic status. In addition, all eight NCAA regional championship teams earned All-Academic honors.

To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team, the team must have had a cumulative team GPA of 3.10 or better and have compiled a score (finished at least five runners) at their respective NCAA regional championship.