Courtesy of the USTFCCCA; Full release here

NEW ORLEANS – Scholar Team of the Year and All-Academic Team honors for the 2013-14 Division II Track & Field Season were announced Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The Ashland men were named Scholar Team of the Year for both the indoor and outdoor seasons, while the indoor national champion Adams State women and the Johnson C. Smith women earned the same award for the indoor and outdoor seasons, respectively.

With their 3.04 cumulative team GPA, Ashland’s men were the highest-finishing team to earn All-Academic honors at both the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships, taking third place at both. Led by outdoor field Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year Kyle Steinhauser with a win in the shot put, the Eagles scored 53 points outdoors, after posting 43 points at the indoor championships.

Incidentally, the last team to sweep the indoor and outdoor men’s Scholar Team of the Year awards was Ashland in both 2009 and 2010. This year’s Eagles were represented by seven men who earned individual All-Academic awards.

As the highest-placing teams with at least a 3.00 cumulative team grade point average at this season’s indoor and/or outdoor NCAA Division II Championships, these teams stood out among 105 women’s teams and 50 men’s programs that combined academic and athletic achievement to earn All-Academic Team honors this season.

All Academic Teams
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Michigan Tech and Northwood (Mich.) Men Compiled Top 5 Team GPA's; GLIAC Tops Men's Team Standings

The USTFCCCA also announced Tuesday the 2014 Division II All-Academic Track & Field teams. A total of 105 women’s teams and 50 men’s teams earned the distinction as a result of earning a cumulative team GPA of 3.00 or higher.

Sioux Falls was the top men’s team this academic year with a 3.55 team GPA, ahead Bentley at 3.40 and the Johnson C. Smith men at 3.37. Michigan Tech (3.31) and Northwood (Mich.) (3.29) followed close behind in the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.

The GLIAC emerged on top for the men with eight of its member institutions claiming the award, followed by seven from the NSIC and six from the GLVC. Thirteen different programs from the NSIC earned All-Academic Team nods on the women’s side to lead all conferences, just ahead of the PSAC with 12 and the GLIAC with 10.