Full USTFCCCA Release

TAMPA - The University of South Florida women's cross country team was named an All-Academic Team by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), in an announcement made by the organization late Friday afternoon.

USF was one of 13 BIG EAST schools to be named All-Academic, the most by any conference in the country, as the Bulls own a cumulative GPA of 3.31.

For a team to be considered for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award, they must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional Championship and also have a minimum 3.00 team cumulative GPA.

A record 176 teams in Division I were named All-Academic for the 2009 season. USF was one of four Florida schools to earn the honor along with North Florida, Florida and Jacksonville.

The award marks the third year in a row the women's cross country team has been named All-Academic, including 2007, when USF led the nation with the highest GPA at 3.78.

The women placed 12th at the BIG EAST Championships in 2009 as well as 12th at the NCAA Regional at Tuscaloosa, Ala. The women placed second at the Early Bird Classic and the Hatter Invitational.

The win comes on the heels of the women's track team earning the same award by the organization for the 2009 season after posting a cumulative 3.21 GPA through the spring 2009 semester. That award was also the third year in a row the women's track team earned that distinction.

National champion Villanova was named the D-I Women's Cross Country Scholar Team of the Year.