By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University men's and women's cross country teams have continued their strong tradition of academic honors by receiving All-Academic recognition from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for their success in the classroom during the 2019 season.

Across the country in NCAA Division III, 213 women's cross country teams and 173 men's cross country teams were chosen for the All-Academic team award. Each team had to achieve at least a 3.1 cumulative team grade point average and register a team score at an NCAA Regional meet in order to earn All-Academic status.

The Bearcat women's team achieved a 3.69 cumulative team GPA through the fall 2019 semester. The Willamette men's team concluded the fall semester with a 3.47 cumulative team GPA. A total of seven NWC women's teams received All-Academic status, while six NWC men's teams qualified for the award.

The Women's Scholar Team of the Year award went to Johns Hopkins University for the sixth time in the past eight years. Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) claimed the NCAA Division III Men's Scholar Team of the Year award. Each season, the Scholar Team award go to the men's squad and the women's squad that earned All-Academic status and placed highest at the NCAA Championships. The women's team from Johns Hopkins and the men's team from Pomona-Pitzer won the 2019 NCAA Cross Country titles. The Johns Hopkins women recorded a 3.58 GPA, and the Pomona-Pitzer men achieve a 3.66 GPA.

Leading the nation in NCAA Division III in cumulative team GPA were the women's team from Chatham University (Pa.) at 3.86 and the men's team from Middlebury College (Vt.) at 3.80.