Juniata men’s and women’s cross country runners receive academic honors

HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Three individuals on the Juniata College men’s and women’s cross country teams have been named to their respective U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division III All-Academic Teams, which were released on Tuesday.

Junior Aubrey Cyphert (North East, Pa./Seneca) was the lone Juniata women’s runner named to the squad, while the Eagle men were represented by sophomores Matt Bailey (East Petersburg, Pa./Hempfield) and Sam Williams (Roaring Spring, Pa./Central).

To be eligible for selection to the All-Academic Team, nominees had to have a minimum 3.50 cumulative grade points average and finish in the top 25 percent of the field at their respective NCAA regional meet. A total of 150 men and 203 women were named to the Division III All-Academic Teams.

Cyphert, a biology major, placed 62nd (23:43) out of 267 runners at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional, held November 10 in Bethlehem, Pa. Williams was 51st overall (26:26) while Bailey was 62nd (26:37) in a field of 282 runners at the NCAA Mideast Regional. Bailey is studying biochemistry at Juniata while Williams is a mathematics major.

In addition, both the Juniata College men’s and women’s cross country teams earned the team All-Academic honor for carrying a team GPA of at least 3.10 and compiling a team score at the NCAA regional meet. A total of 99 men’s teams and 141 women’s squads received the team All-Academic award.

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