Five Willamette Cross Country Runners Earn All-Academic Honors

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- A total of five Willamette University cross country runners have received All-Academic status for the 2009 season from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Three members of the Willamette men's team and two runners on the Bearcat women's team were chosen for the All-Academic award.

Overall, 188 student-athletes from Division III were chosen for the Womens All-Academic Team. Williams College (Mass.) topped the list with six All-Academic picks. Each All-Academic selection was recognized for achieving a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher, while finishing in the top 35 at an NCAA Regional cross country meet.

The University Athletic Association (UAA) led all conferences with 19 honorees on the women's cross country list. The Northwest Conference, which includes Willamette, placed second with a total of 16 All-Academic athletes.

Willamettes All-Academic selections from the women's team were: Kimber Mattox (So., Bend, OR/Bend HS/Cornell University), Exercise Science major; Tina Patel (Jr., Bend, OR/Summit HS), Chemistry major.

The WU women's team placed fifth in the NWC and was seventh at the West Regional. Mattox placed sixth at the NWC Championships and was 15th at the Regional. Patel placed ninth at the Regional and competed as an individual at the NCAA Championships.

The NCAA Division III Men's All-Academic Team included 129 student-athletes. Haverford College (Pa.) had the most runners qualify for the list with six All-Academic picks.

All-Academic selections for the WU men's team were Chris Platano (Sr., Myrtle Point, OR/Myrtle Point HS), Economics major; Nicholas Rebol (Jr., Cottonwood, CA/Red Bluff Union HS), Physics major; Stefan Redfield (Jr., Sisters, OR/Sisters HS), Rhetoric and Media Studies major.

Willamette won the Northwest Conference men's cross country title for the eighth time in the past nine years. The men's team took second at the NCAA West Regional and placed 20th at the NCAA Division III National Championships. Redfield was fourth, Rebol was eighth and Platano took 15th at the NWC Meet. At the Regional, Redfield was eighth, Platano placed 20th and Rebol finished 23rd.