The Mizzou track and field/cross country program was honored by the US Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for its academic success over the past calendar year. Both the men's and women's cross country teams were honored as All-Academic teams as fall grades have been announced. The women's cross country team earned a term grade-point-average of 3.467, earning the 44th-straight All-Academic honor for the Mizzou track and field/cross country program, doing so in every semester since the inception of the award 16 seasons ago. Mizzou is the only program in the nation to have accomplished that feat. The Tiger men's cross country team finished the fall semester with a term GPA of 3.06, earning the All-Academic award as well.
"We are certainly very excited about our women's team's continued great success in the classroom," head track and field coach Dr. Rick McGuire said. "I know that they take great pride in continuing the tradition of academic excellence that has long been the hallmark of Missouri track and field. This is not an individual thing, but a whole team recognition that has now extended through 16 years and literally several generations of women's track athletes. They've all done such a great job. We are Mizzou!"
Two members of the women's cross country team - Shannon Leinert (Eureka, Mo.) and Kaitie Vanatta (Littleton, Colo.) - earned a perfect 4.00 GPA during the fall 2009 semester, while Phillip King (Columbia, Mo.) brought home a perfect GPA for the men's team.
The success during the fall semester for the program did not stop with the cross country student-athletes. In all, the women's track and field team compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.289 and four others - Cortni Ervin (Marshall, Mo.), Leslie Farmer (Jefferson City, Mo.), Laura Greenfield (Liberty, Mo.) and Katie Vanarsdall (Buckner, Mo.) - all joined Leinert and Vanatta with perfect GPAs. The term GPA of 3.289 means that the women's program will garner its 45th-straight All-Academic team honor from the USTFCCCA when those are announced after the outdoor track and field season.
In all, 18 of the 40 women's track and field team members finished with a GPA better than 3.50 and 30 of the 40 women's track and field student-athletes finished with a GPA better than 3.00.
The Tiger track and field program is currently on winter break, but the team will return to Columbia for its first scheduled indoor meet of the season - the Missouri Invitational - on January 8th, inside the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse. That meet will begin at noon and will serve as the first of four home meets for the Tigers during the indoor season.
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