USTFCCCA Team Academic Award Release
HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College men's Track & Field team has been named one of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) 2016-17 Division III Men's All-Academic Teams, the organization announced in a release this week.
Haverford takes home the award for the 12th straight season, notching the honor in every year since the organization combined the indoor and outdoor seasons into one award. The men's program adds the USTFCCCA team award to a bevy of academic successes in 2016-17, including 42 combined honorees for the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll between the indoor and outdoor seasons.
In order to be eligible for Scholar Team of the Year, a team must finish highly at the national championship and have at least a 3.10 cumulative team GPA. All told, there were 111 men's team's honored for success in the classroom and in competition.
In addition to the team award, rising juniors Dylan Gearinger, Peter Kurtz, Greg Morgan and Graham Peet joined rising senior Henry Woods in earning individual All-Academic designation from the USTFCCCA.
Woods and Morgan qualified for the award by basis of their qualification to the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships in Geneva, Ohio in May.
Morgan finished the 1,500 meter race in 12th place overall with a time of 3:58.47. In his sophomore season, Morgan raced in the national championships in both cross country and outdoor track and was named USTFCCCA All-Mideast Region and All-Centennial Conference in each running season during the 2016-17 academic year.
Woods, also a COSIDA Academic All-District selection, finished in 11th in the 5,000 meter race with a time of 14:52.33 after capturing the 5,000 meter championship at the Centennial Conference championship meet. This is the third consecutive USTFCCCA All-Academic distinction for Woods.
Gearinger receives the award by virtue of a 27th place ranking in the 5,000 meter distance. The rising junior recorded the time (14:33.66) at the Larry Ellis Invitational in April. Gearinger is the reigning Centennial Conference champion in the outdoor 10,000 meter as well as the indoor 3,000 meter distances.
Kurtz picks up the plaudit after competing as part of Haverford's distance medley relay team. The squad, which also featured academic honorees Morgan and Woods, finished with the 20th fastest time in Division III (10:05.24) at the Centennial Conference Indoor Championships.
Peet earns the designation after he finished with the 32nd fastest steeplechase time (9:19.59), at the Swarthmore Final Qualifier. Peet finished in second in the event at the Centennial Conference Championships in May.