The men’s and women’s cross country teams at the University of Evansville have once again been honored for academics, as both the male and female Purple Aces have captured Division I Academic All-America team honors from the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for the second-straight year.

The UE women’s team earned Academic All-America Team honors with distinction for the eighth-straight year under head coach Don Walters, as the Purple Aces compiled a team cumulative grade point average of 3.56.  UE’s 3.56 grade point average ranked 23rd nationally in terms of team GPA, as 158 women’s cross country program earned Academic All-America honors nationally.

The UE men’s team captured Academic All-America honors for the third-straight year and the fourth time overall under Walters by compiling a 3.18 team cumulative grade point average this past fall.  The Purple Aces tied such schools as Texas Tech, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest for 52nd place nationally in terms of team grade point average, as 99 men’s programs earned Academic All-America honors from the USTFCCCA this year.

“Once again, I am very proud of both the men’s and women’s cross country teams for their hard work both on the cross country course and in the classroom this year,” said Walters.  “Succeeding both on the course and in the classroom is what UE cross country is all about.”

To earn Division I Academic All-America honors from the USTFCCCA, teams were required to compete in an NCAA regional meet and have at least a cumulative grade point average of 3.0.  To receive Academic All-America honors with distinction, teams needed to compile a team GPA of 3.25 and above.