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The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Cross Country Named USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, Two Earn Individual Honors
2/9/2017 3:32 PM | Cross Country
Grayson Murphy and Poppy Tank earn All-Academic Individual Honors
NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has selected the University of Utah cross country team as an All-Academic Team, while junior Grayson Murphy and freshman Poppy Tank received All-Academic Individual honors.
The Utah women's cross country team combined for a 3.40 grade point average.
"This is a terrific honor for our program," head coach Kyle Kepler said. "We have a group of young women who have earned this distinction due to their outstanding work in the classroom. It has become a point of emphasis in our program which is a reflection of those gals who came before this group and their effort to pass on the importance of academic performance in our program. I would also like to commend our great athletic academic staff and all of the time and effort they provide out student athletes."
The Utes were one of 242 women's teams across the country to earn All-Academic team honors. In order to be selected, teams must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater to qualify.
In Kepler's 12 years at the helm of the program, Kepler's cross country teams have earned All-Academic team honors ten times.
Junior Grayson Murphy and freshman Poppy Tank were two of 168 women that earned All-Academic Individual honors. In order to qualify for the honor, athletes must finish in the top-25 at regionals or finish as an All-American at the national meet and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25.
Murphy finished the 2016 cross country season earning All-Region honors after finishing with an 18th place finish at the NCAA Mountain Region Championship, second-team All-Pac-12 honors after placing 12th at the Pac-12 Championships, while also finishing as Utah's lead runner in the NCAA Championships where she finished in 53rd place. Murphy totaled five top-20 performances out of the six races she competed in.
In her first collegiate season, Tank had a strong campaign after earning All-Region honors at the NCAA Mountain Region Championship, placing 25th at the regional meet. Tank was also Utah's third scorer at the NCAA Championships after she placed 110th.
The Utah women's cross country team combined for a 3.40 grade point average.
"This is a terrific honor for our program," head coach Kyle Kepler said. "We have a group of young women who have earned this distinction due to their outstanding work in the classroom. It has become a point of emphasis in our program which is a reflection of those gals who came before this group and their effort to pass on the importance of academic performance in our program. I would also like to commend our great athletic academic staff and all of the time and effort they provide out student athletes."
The Utes were one of 242 women's teams across the country to earn All-Academic team honors. In order to be selected, teams must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater to qualify.
In Kepler's 12 years at the helm of the program, Kepler's cross country teams have earned All-Academic team honors ten times.
Junior Grayson Murphy and freshman Poppy Tank were two of 168 women that earned All-Academic Individual honors. In order to qualify for the honor, athletes must finish in the top-25 at regionals or finish as an All-American at the national meet and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25.
Murphy finished the 2016 cross country season earning All-Region honors after finishing with an 18th place finish at the NCAA Mountain Region Championship, second-team All-Pac-12 honors after placing 12th at the Pac-12 Championships, while also finishing as Utah's lead runner in the NCAA Championships where she finished in 53rd place. Murphy totaled five top-20 performances out of the six races she competed in.
In her first collegiate season, Tank had a strong campaign after earning All-Region honors at the NCAA Mountain Region Championship, placing 25th at the regional meet. Tank was also Utah's third scorer at the NCAA Championships after she placed 110th.
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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