NEW ORLEANS — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's and women's cross country teams both received All-Academic team status from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for 2024. Both squads also had several individuals earn honors when the USTFCCCA announced the recipients Thursday.
The Blugold women posted a collective 3.62 GPA to earn All-Academic team status, while the Blugold men did the same with a 3.33 GPA. The women's GPA was the best of any Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) team this season.
Individually, the UW-Eau Claire women had five runners named All-Academic athletes:
Keeley Behr (Jr. - Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley),
Molly Heidorn (So. - Colfax, Wis.),
Bella Hooker (Fr. - Kewaskum, Wis.),
Allison Weissinger (Sr. - River Falls, Wis.) and
Reagan Zimmerman (So. - Sun Prairie, Wis.). The Blugold men had four honorees:
Trevor LaMirande (Sr. - Dresser, Wis./St. Croix Falls),
Jesse Peterson (Sr. - St. Paul, Minn./Highland Park),
Mason Shea (Sr. - River Falls, Wis.) and
Sam Verkerke (Sr. - White Bear Lake, Minn.).
In order to qualify for All-Academic distinction, student athletes must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale and finish in the top-25 percent of their respective regional championship meet. In order to qualify for All-Academic distinction, teams must have a cumulative GPA of 3.1 on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period, among other qualifiers.
