Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams at the University of Kansas have received All-Academic Team honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The announcement was made Thursday, recognizing teams nationwide for their achievements in both academics and athletics.
The Kansas men’s team earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.61, while the women’s team achieved a GPA of 3.69.
Two individual athletes from Kansas, Emmah Jemutai and Reagan Kibet, were also named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic list. Kibet, a redshirt-freshman from Kenya majoring in pre-business, received All-Regional recognition this season after finishing 25th at the NCAA Midwest Regionals. He was one of Kansas’s top finishers in all four meets he participated in.
Kibet qualified for All-Academic recognition by maintaining a GPA of 3.25 or higher and earning All-Regional honors.
Jemutai represented Kansas at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and secured her place on the All-Academic list through her academic performance and a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regionals. She is majoring in Liberal Arts & Science.
Jemutai, a redshirt-sophomore from Eldoret, Kenya, served as captain for the Kansas Track & Field team and consistently placed among the top runners for her team during the season, never finishing lower than 42nd.
“The academic awards from the USTFCCCA are the second set of awards the Jayhawks have received in the past week, with 14 runners also receiving Big 12 All-Academic recognitions on Thursday afternoon,” according to university officials.
To qualify for USTFCCCA All-Academic distinction, student-athletes must maintain at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale and either finish in the top-25 (or top ten percent) at NCAA Regional Championships or earn All-American status at NCAA Championships.
