Princeton University Athletics
Three Tigers Earn Cross Country All-Academic Honors
March 02, 2010 | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
NEW ORLEANS, La. (3/2/10) - Three members of the Princeton cross country teams have been named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I Cross Country All-Academic Teams, it was announced by the organization on Tuesday, March 2.
Earning the honors for the Tigers are sophomore Alex Banfich and junior Sarah Cummings on the women's team and junior captain Rob Speare of the men's team.
The women's team placed second at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional and finished fifth at the NCAA Championship from the second straight season.
Banfich was the Tigers' second runner across the line at regionals, finishing in 10th place with a time of 20:58. She went on to place 43rd at the NCAA championship matching her time from regionals.
Cummings was the third runner for Princeton at both regionals and at the Championship. She was 17th at regionals at 21:29 and was 49th at the NCAAs at 21:01, shaving 15 seconds off her time from the 2008 championship and 28 seconds off her time from regionals.
Speare was Princeton's top scorer at regionals, clocking in at 32:11.5 to finish in 12th place. His finish qualified him for the NCAA Championship where he ran 31:09.5, more than a minute faster than his previous race, to place 123rd out of 250.
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.