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Release Date Monday, February 13, 2017

Cross Country Teams Named NCAA Div. II All-Academic Teams

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Feb. 13, 2017) – The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology men’s and women’s cross country teams have been recognized as NCAA Div. II All-Academic Teams by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for the fifth-consecutive year. Hardrocker junior cross country runner Kari Radke also earned Individual All-Academic Honors for the 2016 season.

“We are very proud of our scholar-athletes at Mines,” said Mines President Heather Wilson. “It is great to see them be recognized in this way.”

The Hardrocker men’s squad finished the season with a 3.31 team GPA while the Lady Hardrocker team posted a 3.42 GPA. Teams must have compiled a cumulative GPA or 3.00 or greater and scored at an NCAA Div. II regional meet to qualify for the award.

The Hardrocker teams fulfilled both requirements after competing at the NCAA Div. II South Central Regional Cross Country Championships on Nov. 5 in Denver, Colo. The men’s team placed 19th while the women’s team posted a 17th-place finish.

“We're very proud of our scholar-athletes and what they've been able to accomplish in the classroom and on the course,” said Hardrocker cross country head coach Steve Johnson.

Individual All-Academic honors are awarded to those athletes who have compiled a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 and finished among the top 30 percent of eligible runners at his or her regional championships and/or the top half of the field at the NCAA Championships.

Radke, who finished 69th out of 182 competitors at the regional meet, is a chemical engineering major from Elk River, Minn.

“Kari's individual honors show how hard she has worked over the last few years,” Johnson said. “To be in the top 30 percent athletically and maintaining her GPA is an impressive feat made that much tougher by competing at the South Central Region and studying chemical engineering.”

A total of 164 institutions earned Scholar Team honors. There were 137 women’s teams and 104 men’s teams that earned All-Academic honors from the USTFCCCA.

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About SD Mines

Founded in 1885, the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a science and engineering research university located in Rapid City, S.D., offering bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. The university enrolls 2,654 students with a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1. The SD School of Mines placement rate for graduates is 97 percent, with an average starting salary of more than $61,300. Find us online at www.sdsmt.edu and on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Snapchat.