SPOKANE, Wash. - Whitworth University's Ben Spaun has been named to the Men's 2007 ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-America Track & Field/Cross Country Third Team in the college division, while the entire Pirate women's squad led all of NCAA Division III in cumulative grade point average. In addition, Spaun was joined by four teammates as part of the USTFCCCA Division III All-Academic Track and Field Team.
Spaun (Jr., Wenatchee, Wash.) is a physics major with a 3.99 grade point average through January. He excelled on the track this season, winning Northwest Conference titles in the 110 meter high hurdles and the 400 hurdles. He was also third in the conference decathlon competition. Spaun qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the decathlon, finishing in 9th place with 6,518 points, his best score ever. The Men's Academic All-America Men's Track & Field/Cross Country team included 30 individuals from across the country. The individuals are nominated by their institutions' sports information directors and the 30 selections were forwarded from the 80 winners of Academic All-District honors. This Pirate women's team had a cumulative GPA of 3.629, heading the list of 73 2007 USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams. Nazareth College was second with a GPA of 3.572. Whitworth's Kristen Dormaier was named to the 2007 Women's USTFCCCA Division III All-Academic Track & Field Team, while Spaun was joined on the men's team by Brandon Howell (Jr., Clarkston, Wash.), Cody Stelzer (Fr., The Dalles, Ore.) and Jeff Kintner (Fr., Wenatchee, Wash.). To qualify for the USTFCCCA team, a student athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and obtain an NCAA qualifying mark in his or her respective event. Dormaier qualified for the heptathlon, while Spaun met the mark in the decathlon, Stelzer in the high jump, and Kintner in the shot put. |
