CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's track and field team led all NCAA Division I institutions with the greatest team GPA and was named an All-Academic team by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The UTC men's team was also named All-Academic by the USTFCCCA with a top 20 finish.
The Lady Mocs boasted an overall team GPA of 3.550 ahead of Butler (3.547) Lipscomb (3.500) Utah State (3.471) and Yale University (3.470).
“We have a lot of quality young ladies,” UTC Head Coach Bill Gautier said. “They know they are expected to excel in the classroom so I was looking to be in the top five or 10, but this is great. We try to recruit student-athletes who are highly motivated both academically and athletically and it has shown. We've been in the top 20 in all but one of the last 15 years.”
Eleven Lady Mocs runners posted a GPA of 3.0 or better led by sophomore Monika Groppe with a 3.875. Junior Anneli Uys was named All-Academic by the USTFCCCA earlier this week. The two-time Southern Conference champion has a cumulative GPA of 3.726 and qualified for the NCAA region meet in both the 800 and 1500 meter events.
“This is an individual sport and some have more talent,” Gautier said. “Anneli has the talent to work hard both academically and athletically. I don't think she's leaving anything out there. She came here with the mission of getting her degree and being a top-tier athlete. She is working toward achieving that goal.”
The men's indoor and outdoor track and field teams posted a SoCon-best team GPA of 3.189 and ranked 18th of all Division I institutions. David Moore led the Mocs with a cumulative 4.0 GPA in psychology.
Michael Danehy and Chris Berry were named All-Academic earlier this week by the USTFCCCA. Danehy claimed the SoCon 800 meter title in both the indoor and outdoor seasons and advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Track Region meet in the event. Berry, a three-time All-Conference performer in track this year, won the 5000 meter in both the indoor and outdoor seasons at the league meets and was runner-up in the 3000 meter race by less than a second at the indoor championships. He claimed a spot in the men's 5000 meter race at the NCAA Outdoor Track Region meet.
“I'm very proud of those two,” Gautier said. “They had a great year, worked hard and lived up to their expectations.
Berry was selected to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District second team earlier this season. He holds a 3.733 GPA as a pre-major and Danehy, a Business/Accounting major, has a 3.824 cumulative GPA.
“This is part of our tradition at UTC. When I'm recruiting, I tell prospects that this is what we expect,” Gautier said. “That is why they come to school at UTC.”
The Tennessee Lady Vols were named the 2009 Indoor Scholar Team of the Year after capturing the national title at the NCAA Championships and maintained a 3.230 team GPA. Arizona State captured the Outdoor Scholar Team of the Year honors placing third at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and posting a 3.287 GPA. The Sun Devil's were last year's Indoor and Outdoor Scholar Team of the Year.
A total of 130 Division I programs were recognized as women's 2009 All-Academic Teams including five from the Southern Conference. Wofford was second ranked 28th followed by Elon (42), Samford (118) and the College of Charleston (121).
The Big East led all conferences with ten teams selected as All-Academic Teams for 2009. The Big 12 Conference was a close second with eight teams selected to the list. The Atlantic Coast Conference and the Mid-American Conference each had seven teams selected as All-Academic Track and Field Teams.
On the men's side, Nebraska was named the 2009 Indoor Track and Field Scholar Team of the Year with a fifth place finish at the NCAA Championships and a team GPA of 3.074. South Carolina was named the Outdoor Scholar Team of the Year. The Gamecocks maintained a 3.090 team GPA and finished sixth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2009.
A total of 67 Division I programs were recognized as men's 2009 All-Academic Teams.
DePaul University led all institutions with a 3.419 team cumulative GPA, followed by Brown University with a 3.390 team cumulative GPA, and Yale University with a 3.370 team cumulative GPA.
The Ivy League led all conferences again this year with six teams selected as All-Academic Teams for 2009. The Big 12 Conference followed with five teams selected to the list. The Colonial Athletic Association and the Southern Conference each had four teams selected as All-Academic Track and Field Teams – Chattanooga (18), Samford (20), Wofford (45) and Davidson (65).
The selection of the All-Academic Indoor and Outdoor Scholar Teams of the Year award is based on a combination of academic and athletic achievements, with the top honor going to the team that had the combination of best overall finish at the respective Division I Indoor or Outdoor National Championships and cumulative GPA.
To be nominated, the team must carry a minimum 3.000 cumulative grade-point average.
Monika Groppe Pre (Abroad) 3.875
Jordyn Radke Chemistry/Pre-Med 3.754
Anneli Uys Pre-AT 3.726
Sabrina Lefort HHP/PED 3.694
Natalie Wennerstrom Pre-Nursing 3.615
Emily Stuart English 3.611
Shelley Taylor Pre K-3 3.585
Tara Gietema Business/Marketing 3.327
Meredith White E.L. K-12 3.267
Lauren Anderson Business/Marketing 3.071
Emily Wood GRAD 3.000
David Moore Psychology 4.000
Michael Danehy Business/Accounting 3.824
Chris Berry Pre-Major 3.733
Kevin Huwe Business 3.400
Emmanuel Kirwa Pre-Major 3.327
Blake Ketron Criminal Justice 3.293
