Men's and Women's Cross Country Land Seven on USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams

St. Louis, Mo., February 16, 2011 – The Washington University in St. Louis men’s and women’s cross country teams combined to have seven student-athletes named to the 2011 U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team, as announced by the USTFCCA.

The Washington U. women’s squad, which placed second overall at the 2011 NCAA Division III Championships in Waverly, Iowa, had four students named to the All-Academic Team: senior Taryn Surtees, senior Jessica Londree, junior Liz Phillips and freshman Sarah Fisher.

Washington University’s men’s team, which finished ninth at the NCAA Division III Championships landed three student-athletes on the All-Academic Team: senior Dave Spandorfer, junior Michael Burnstein and sophomore David Hamm.

The University Athletic Association (UAA) led all conferences on the women’s side with a total of 16 student-athletes earning USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors.

In order to qualify for USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors, a student-athlete must excel in the classroom and in the field of competition. The requirements are that a student-athlete must possess a least a 3.3 cumulative grade point (GPA) average and place in the top 35 of the field at their respective NCAA regional championship meets. A total of 142 men and 170 women earned the distinction in 2011.

The 2010 season marked the most successful cross country campaign in Washington University history. The Washington U. women’s team’s finished second at the NCAA Championships for the first time in school history while the men’s team earned a top-10 finish for the second year in a row.

It was the first time at Washington University both the men’s and women’s teams placed in the top-10 at the NCAA meet.