2018 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Men's Cross Country Team
HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College men's cross country team saw four of its student-athletes named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Team, the Philadelphia Sports Information Directors Association (Philly-SIDA) announced in a release on Tuesday afternoon. Seniors Ryan Herlihy, Greg Morgan, and Graham Peet joined junior Sam McCalpin on the squad. The four honorees were the most in Haverford program history and represented more than half of the seven total athletes selected for the honors across all three divisions. Last season, Peet joined Henry Woods '18 on the squad.
The teams are voted on by the sports information offices of the 30 area institutions from the Philadelphia metropolitan area. In order to be eligible for Academic All-Area honors, an athlete must be in at least his second year at the institution and hold a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20 or better. With four honorees, the Fords join Villanova as the only other school with multiple selections to the men's cross country team.
Herlihy, of Dennisville, N.J., earns the award for the first time after a 29th place finish at the NCAA National Championships last month. Herlihy earned All-America status with his finish in Winneconne, Wisc. The senior also adds the academic plaudit to a run of three straight All-Mideast Region selections and three straight first-team All-Centennial Conference designations.
Morgan, of Hollidaysburg, Pa., also earns the Academic All-Area recognition for the first time after he finished 18th at the national championships, picking up his first cross country All-America certificate after previously earning one each in indoor and outdoor track & field for the mile run and the 1,500 meters, respectively. Morgan is also a three-time All-Mideast Region selection and was a first-team All-Centennial finisher this season after earning second team honors in 2017 and 2016.
Peet, a Vashon, Wash. product, and the 2017 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Performer of the Year, returns to the Academic All-Area squad after pacing Haverford's podium finish as the low stick with a 16th place finish at the national championships. Peet is just the 12th four-time NCAA qualifier in program history and has been named All-Mideast Region in each of his four cross country seasons. In addition to his Inquirer award a season ago, Peet also picked up the Centennial Conference's Scholar Athlete of the Year award and was named a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection following the 2018 outdoor track campaign. He has been named first-team All-Centennial Conference in each of the last two seasons after finishing as a second team pick in his first two years at Haverford. Peet began his illustrious Haverford tenure as the Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year in 2015 and is also the owner of the 2018 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Performer of the Year for Track & Field and an All-America finish in the steeplechase among other achievements from across all three competition seasons.
McCalpin earns the award for the first time after finishing in 85th at the national meet, improving 32 spots from his nationals debut as a sophomore in 2017. McCalpin was an All-Mideast Region selection in both 2018 and 2017, and was named second-team All-Centennial Conference in 2017. Next season, McCalpin will look to lead the Fords back to nationals as a senior. The championship meet is slated for his hometown of Louisville, Ky.
Haverford finished fourth overall at the NCAA Championships after a second place finish at the Mideast Regional and a fifth consecutive Centennial Conference crown. The national podium finish was the seventh in program history for Haverford.
The Fords will be right back to competition this Saturday as the Indoor Track & Field season begins with the Haverford Holiday Meet. The annual home lid-lifter is slated for an 11 a.m. start inside the Alumni Field House.