Kansas cross country teams, pair of individuals earn All-Academic awards

Official USTFCCCA Release

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced the 2019 cross country individual and team academic awards Thursday, with both of the Kansas men’s and women’s teams earning All-Academic nods.

To be eligible for the award, a team must have a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) and must have had at least five runners compete at the NCAA regional championship meet in November.

The KU men set a new team record with a 3.36 GPA during the fall 2019 semester to earn the distinction for the 10th-consecutive year. Meanwhile, the Jayhawk women’s 3.27 GPA made them one of 237 teams to be honored this year, which was their 11th-straight season being recognized.

In addition, junior Ben Butler (Spanish and Global & International Studies) and freshman Chandler Gibbens (Political Science) were two of the 117 men named All-Academic Individuals in NCAA Division I. Butler crossed the finish line 20th in 31:19.7 at the Midwest Regional Championships while freshman teammate Gibbens finished one spot behind, running 31:26.2 to claim 21st place.

In order to qualify for individual All-Academic distinction, student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale and finish in the top-25 (or 10 percent) at the NCAA Regional Championships or as an All-American at the NCAA Championships.