NEW ORLEANS – Four Whitworth University cross country student-athletes, and both Pirate teams, were recognized for outstanding academic achievement on Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Isaac Akiyama, Ashlyn Dary, Lily Jones and Kezlie Thygesen were named USTFCCCA All-Academic Athletes. In order to qualify for All-Academic distinction, student athletes must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale and finish in the top-25 percent of their respective regional championship meet.
Jones finished 13th at the NCAA Division III West Regional meet on November 15th in Claremont, California and qualified for the NCAA Division III national championship meet. She is a health science major from Freeman.
Dary, an environmental science major from Maple Valley, Wash. finished 25th in the women's race, while Thygesen, a psychology and criminology double major from Allyn, Wash. Crossed in 27th place. Akiyama, an engineering major from Olympia, Washington, finished 26th in the men's competition. The top 35 runners in each race earn All-Region recognition.
Both Pirate squads earned All-Academic Team honors. In order to qualify for All-Academic distinction, teams must have a cumulative GPA of 3.1 on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period, among other qualifiers. Whitworth's women's team had a cumulative GPA of 3.58 while the men's was 3.54. Both Pirate squads were Northwest Conference runners-up and finished seventh at the NCAA West Region championship meet.
