Iowa Women Earn National Academic Honor

Aug. 11, 2011

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women’s track and field team has been named an all-academic team by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) for the seventh consecutive season. The women’s team combined for a team grade point average of 3.19 through the 2011 indoor and outdoor seasons.

“We are extremely excited about the continued academic success of the entire group,” said Head Coach Layne Anderson. “To qualify for this award, it is really a team success and not just a set of individuals who are doing well. We strive every year for this. It’s always one of our goals and we will keep striving to attain the standard of being at or above a 3.00 GPA every year.”

To qualify for this distinction, a team must have a 3.00-cumulative GPA at the end of the season. Iowa was one of eight Big Ten schools who made the list comprised of 164 Division I women’s track and field teams across the nation.

Two Iowa women earned individual recognition for their efforts in the classroom. Senior All-American Bethany Praska and junior NCAA outdoor qualifier Brooke Eilers were both named to the Division I All-Academic Track and Field team by the USTFCCA. Both student-athlete have a GPA of 3.25 and have met either of the following athletic standards: for the indoor season, a student-athlete must have finished the regular season ranked in the national top 96 in an individual event or ranked in the national top 48 (collective listing) in a relay event on the official NCAA POP list provided by TFRRS.org; for the outdoor season, a student-athlete must have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Championships (including preliminary rounds).