Lions receive USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors

NEW ORLEANS, LA.- For the first season since the fall of 2016, the Mars Hill Men's Cross Country team earned U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Team All-Academic recognition. This is the 14th time in school history that Mars Hill Men's Cross Country has earned Team All-Academic recognition. As a team, the Lions checked in with a 3.21 GPA.

There are 5 male Lions who have earned the individual Academic All-American honors for all four years of their competition. 

James Thompson (2002-2005)

Eric Blackburn (2009-2012)

Nathan Jones (2013-2016)

Brandon Beard (2014-2017)

Gil Gilreath (2014-2017)

A total of 302 student-athletes representing 101 institutions made up the Individual All-Academic list. To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country team in Division II, a student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or better through the most recent semester, completed at least 12 credit hours in the semester of cross country competition and placed in either the top 50 percent at the most recent NCAA Championship or top 30 percent at the NCAA Regional Championships.

There were 15 South Atlantic Conference student-athletes who were recognized on the All-Academic Men's Cross Country team.

A total of 131 institutions were recognized as Team All-Academic performers. To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team, the team must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better and have compiled a team score at their respective NCAA regional championship.

9 SAC schools earned Team All-Academic Recognition.

To view the full list of recipients, please click here.