Cross Country Academic Teams & Team Academic Award Winners
TUCKER, GA - The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Cross Country Coach's Association are proud to announce the 2009 All Academic Teams and the Team Academic Award. The Miles College Lady Bears team had a combined GPA of 3.66 to win the Team Academic Award for the women, while Morehouse combined for a 3.53 to win the prestigious award for the men. Chanel Chase, of Miles College, and Christopher Morant, of Benedict College had the highest GPA's of all SIAC Cross Country runners with 4.0.
The Women's Cross Country team is comprised of three seniors, one junior and three sophomores. Sophomore Chanel Chase, Miles College, has an impressive 4.0 majoring in Business Management. Senior Jamila McKenzie of Tuskegee had a 3.84, majoring in Animal Science, while sophomore Folasade Omogun, a Clark Atlanta history major posted a 3.83. Senior's Cyntonia Jones and Laquita Williams of Miles College posted 3.70 GPA's while majoring in Early Childhood Education. Janee Douglas of Clark Atlanta posted a 3.68 in Biology. Camille Riley of Tuskegee University rounds out the team with a 3.62 in Accounting. Miles College had the highest team GPA with a 3.66 with all five of their runners having a GPA over 3.43.
The men's team is made up of four juniors and three sophomores. Christopher Morant a Benedict College sophomore headlines the team with an overall GPA of 4.00 in Social Work. Aaron Shepard of Claflin posted a 3.99 as a Bio-Chemistry major. Morehouse's Lemario Bland majors in Psychology and has a GPA of 3.97. Charles Chirchir of Benedict College has a GPA of 3.91 in Electrical Engineering. Lane College is represented on the team by Justin Greene who posted a 3.82 in Business. Lumumba Obika, a senior Aerospace Engineering major from Tuskegee, rounds out the men's academic team with a 3.68 GPA. Morehouse (3.53 overall GPA) had the highest team GPA on the men's side.
To qualify for the academic team an individual must have a GPA over 3.2. The team academic award is given to the team with the highest combined GPA. Five student-athletes are required in order to be considered for the team academic championship and all GPA's have been verified and confirmed by the institutions Compliance Director/Coordinator.
The student-athletes received recognition for their academic accomplishments at the SIAC Cross Country Championship Banquet this evening at the Hilton Atlanta Air Port in Atlanta, GA. The student-athletes also competed on Saturday, October 24, 2009 at the Beach at Clayton County in Jonesboro, GA at the SIAC Cross Country Championships.
