Cross Country Named USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
NEW ORLEANS – The University of Miami cross country program was recognized for its academic excellence by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Both the Miami men’s and women’s teams were named USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams for the 2016 season. Qualifying teams needed a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Overall, there were 431 teams that earned distinction from the USTFCCCA for their efforts both athletically and academically. Of those 431 teams, 242 were women’s and 189 were men’s.
“We are proud of the commitment our runners have made to succeed on the course and in the classroom,” Miami distance coach Damon Griffiths said. “It’s great to see them receive some recognition for their hard work.”
The Hurricane men, who had a team GPA of 3.40, were led by junior Sean Grossman and senior Jon Keller. Grossman, who is majoring in architectural engineering, was Miami’s top male runner. He earned a top 50 finish at the NCAA South Regional with a personal-best 10-kilometer time of 31:53.6 that ranks sixth in the men’s 10K in Miami history.
Keller, who is set to graduate in May with a degree in audio engineering, has a perfect 4.0 GPA for his collegiate career. The senior was the top Hurricane at the Mountain Dew Invitational with an 11th place finish in the men’s 8K (26:06.06). He also was the second Miami runner to cross the finish line at both the ACC Cross Country Championships and the NCAA South Regional.
Luke Dublirer, Tom Gassner, Adam George, Sean Hagert, Nick Kaleel, Alex Margetts and Michael Miano are part of the award-winning men’s team.
Miami’s women’s team combined for a 3.50 GPA in 2016 and had standouts on the race course and in the classroom. Gabrielle Hesslau was the leader of the Hurricane women, closing out her Miami cross country stint with the best race of her career at the NCAA South Regional. The redshirt junior placed 41st with a personal-best 6K time of 21:18.2 that is third in the women’s 6K in school history. Hesslau, who will graduate with a degree in marine affairs and political science, is a three-time FAU Invitational champion.
Anne Den Otter was another stellar performer for the Hurricanes, representing Miami at both the NCAA South Regional and the ACC Cross Country Championships, A sophomore majoring in marine science and biology, Den Otter has a career GPA of 3.85 and ranks in the top 10 in school history in the women’s 5K and 6K.
Megan Brown, Samantha Chenkin, Sophia Corde, Mulloy Manning, Laura Puentes, Sarah Raboff, Olivia Raymond, Molly Rickles and Carla Rodriguez round out Miami’s 2016 cross country roster and also received the USTFCCCA honor.
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