SPOKANE, Wash. - The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Wednesday that Whitworth University was chosen as the 2009 Indoor Track and Field Scholar Team of the Year and the 2009 Outdoor Track and Field Scholar Team of the Year. It is the second straight year the Pirates have been the Men's USTFCCCA Scholar Team of the Year.
And the Whitworth women finished second in all of NCAA Division III in cumulative grade point average. "We continue to strive to help student-athletes in the Whitworth track and field program to achieve athletic and academic success, while growing both socially and spiritually," said Whitworth head coach Toby Schwarz. "Earning a recognition such as this helps to quantify at least two of those elements of our program and provides evidence that the coaching staff and student-athletes are moving in the right direction." The Pirate men capped a solid indoor campaign with a program-best third-place finish at the 2009 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in March. The Pirates capped the 2009 campaign with a sixth-place finish at the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships to earn both Scholar Team of the Year Awards. The Pirates faired equally well in the classroom, with a 3.327 team cumulative GPA. The selection of the All-Academic Indoor and Outdoor Scholar Teams of the Year award is based on a combination of academic and athletic achievements, with the top honor going to the team that had the combination of best overall finish at the respective Division III Indoor or Outdoor National Championships and cumulative GPA. The Whitworth women finished with a team GPA of 3.641, second only to Shenandoah University (3.676). Carleton College had the third-highest cumulative GPA with a 3.590. |
