SMU Cross Country Places Four On USTFCCCA All-Academic Team

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From SMUMustangs.com:

SMU Cross Country Places Four On USTFCCCA All-Academic Team

DALLAS (SMU) – The SMU cross country team placed four runners on the 2009 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team. Veronika Blom, Kristine Eikrem-Engeset, Silje Fjortoft and Sara Sjokvist all made the team representing SMU. The number of Mustangs was tied for second with West Virginia and Villanova for most individuals from a single school.

Blom, a freshman, finished seventh at the NCAA South Central Regional on the 6K course in Waco with a time of 21:17.2, a week after placing fourth at the Conference USA Championship. In the classroom she finished the fall semester with a GPA of 3.625. She plans to major in Applied Physiology.

Eikrem-Engeset is a junior from Orsta, Norway. She finished eighth at the NCAA South Central Regional, finishing in just 21:20.6. Earlier in the season she won the TCU Season Opener 3K, finishing in 11:05 and later placed second at the Ken Garland Invitational with a time of 17:47.00 in the 5K race. Eikrem-Engeset is majoring in sports management.

Fjortoft was named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team earlier this season. She won the NCAA South Central Regional, finishing in 20:29.7, the best time of all 134 competitors. Earlier in the season she was the top finisher for the Mustangs at the C-USA Championship, placing second. She owns a 3.821 GPA in Applied Physiology.

Sjokvist, is a business major with a 3.500 GPA. She finished third at the Conference USA Championship in 18:11.8 and fourth at the South Central Regional. Her first collegiate victory came at the Ken Garland Invitational with a time of 17:40.00 and she was a runner up to Eikrem-Engeset at the TCU Season Opener with a time of 11:15.

The award honors those student-athletes who have succeeded both academically and athletically. To be eligible for the award a student-athlete must carry a minimum 3.25 cumulative grade point average and must finish among the top 15 finishers (or top 10 percent) of the field at their respective NCAA regional meet.