Ten Pirates Earn Individual Recognition

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Both of Whitworth University's track & field teams were recognized by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association as 2010 Division III All-Academic Track & Field Teams. In addition, four Pirate women and six men earned individual All-Academic honors from the USTFCCCA.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA team award, an institution must have a men's or women's squad with a cumulative grade point average of 3.1 or higher. The Whitworth women had a cumulative GPA of 3.51, which ranked 11th out of 106 Division III women's teams that met the standard. Haverford posted the highest women's cumulative team GPA in the nation at 3.66. Ursinus followed at 3.61.

The Pirate men's cumulative team GPA was 3.32. Kenyon was tops in the nation with a men's team cumulative GPA of 3.50 through the 2010 winter semester. Pomona-Pitzer at 3.46 was second-best among the squads. There were 68 men's teams that earned the award.

The four Whitworth women named to the USTFCCCA women’s 2010 Division III All-Academic Track & Field team were: Rachel Busick (Renton, Wash.), Erica Cox (Parma, Idaho), Joy Shufeldt (Portland, Ore.) and Tonya Turner (Spokane, Wash.). A total of 330 student-athletes representing 99 institutions compose the women's group. To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 and have met either the NCAA Division III indoor or outdoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard. Busick met her national mark in the javelin, which Cox met her's in the hammer throw. Shufeldt qualified in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meter runs, while Turner earned her national mark in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.

The six Pirate men named USTFCCCA men's 2010 Division III All-Academic team were: Alex Couette (Yakima, Wash.), Nick Gallagher (Bedford, Iowa), Jeff Kintner (Wenatchee, Wash.), Michael Nahl (Seattle, Wash.), Cody Stelzer (The Dalles, Ore.) and Ron Whitley (Marysville, Wash.). The standards for the men's team are the same as for the women's. Couette earned his provisional qualifying mark in the hammer throw, while Gallagher posted a provisional qualifying mark in the 5,000 meters. Kintner and Nahl both competed at the NCAA DIII Championships in the shot put. Stelzer earned his eighth All-American honor in the high jump. Whitley had provisional marks in both the hammer and the discus.

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