(Editor's note: MSUB Athletics release)
PORTLAND, Ore. – Six runners from the Montana State University Billings men’s and women’s cross country teams were named academic all-Great Northwest Athletic Conference for the 2020-21 school year announced by the conference office on Thursday.
Four runners on the men’s side and two on the women’s side earned the honor, and three of them were repeat selections.
“It is great to see our athletes excelling in the classroom, especially with the atypical school year we have had,” said MSUB head coach Jonathan Woehl.
Juniors Ase Ackerman and Logan Straus were MSUB’s repeat selections on the men’s side, while sophomores Bryant Edgerton and Nick Redgrave each earned the award in their first year of eligibility for it. On the women’s side, Kailee Stoppel earned the honor for the second straight year and Sierra Durbin picked up her first academic award.
Straus had the top grade point average on the men’s side with a 3.49 while studying health and human performance. Ackerman and Edgerton are also HHP majors, with 3.39 and 3.30 grade point averages, respectively. Redgrave is in his second year of his environmental studies degree, and holds a 3.32 GPA.
Durbin had the top GPA on the women’s side with a 3.49 while studying communications. Stoppel was close behind, holding a 3.46 GPA and working towards her degree in history.
Student-athletes must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20 and be in at least their second year of competition with their team in order to be eligible for the academic all-conference team. The Yellowjacket cross country runners, who had their fall 2020 season canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, will next be in action this weekend at the Yellow Jacket Spring Open hosted by Black Hills State University on March 27-28 in Spearfish, South Dakota.