FERRIS CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS HONORED FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS

FSU Earns NCAA-II Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team Recognition

Jenny Irwin	Rachel Cox

The selection of the all-academic teams was based on cumulative grade point averages submitted by member head coaches for the fall 2003 academic term. All teams above a cumulative 3.00 grade point average (gpa) and individuals with a 3.25 gpa or higher were honored for their performance.

The Ferris State women’s team garnered team academic laurels for the sixth consecutive season as a result of placing tied for 38th nationally among 77 schools recognized with a 3.36 team gpa. FSU was one of six Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC)-member schools in the top 40. Wayne State University finished fifth overall (3.65 gpa) while Gannon University and the University of Findlay tied for 11th place (3.58 gpa). Ashland University was 18th (3.53 gpa) and Hillsdale College placed 32nd (3.43 gpa). Ohio Valley College received top honors by recording a 3.95 gpa. FSU previously placed ninth (3.56 gpa) in 2002.

The Bulldogs were 30th overall of 45 men’s teams selected with a 3.13 gpa. Fort Hays State (Kan.) University garnered top academic team recognition for the third consecutive year after posting a 3.68 gpa. Hillsdale placed sixth overall (3.56 gpa), Wayne State finished 10th (3.45 gpa), Findlay was 14th (3.32 gpa) and Ashland tied for 22nd place (3.18 gpa) as five league schools ranked among the nation’s top 30 teams. The Bulldog men’s cross country team, which placed 24th overall (3.10 gpa) in 2002, has earned all-academic team laurels four consecutive seasons to date.

Junior Rachel Cox (Gladstone/Battle Creek Lakeview) and sophomore Jenny Irwin (Scottville/Mason County Central) were also among 142 student-athletes earning women’s individual all-academic team laurels. Irwin claimed first-team All-GLIAC accolades with a seventh-place (22:29.8) finish at the 2003 GLIAC Cross Country Championships (10/25), which was hosted by Ferris State at Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids, Mich. Cox attained second-team conference kudos by finishing 11th overall (22:39.0).

FSU’s women’s cross country team placed sixth while the Bulldog men tied for 10th place at the league championships.

Individually, Ferris had six student-athletes receive GLIAC All-Academic Team recognition during the 2003 campaign. The Bulldog men’s program was represented by junior Kurt Kramer (Pewamo/Pewamo-Westphalia) and sophomore Joe Swendrowksi (Rockford) while sophomore Crystal Flutur (Ludington/Mason County Central) along with junior Mary Miller (Sault Ste. Marie) joined Irwin and Cox as women’s all-academic team recipients.