Feb. 22, 2007

DAYTON, Ohio - The University of Dayton men's and women's cross country teams were named to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division I All-Academic Cross Country Teams on Thursday. In the classroom, the women's team maintained a cumulative team grade point average of 3.4, while the men's squad earned a 3.327 for the fall 2006 semester. The Flyers were awarded this distinction by the USTFCCCA for their efforts in the classroom.

A total of 86 men's teams and 145 women's teams received honors for the 2006 season. To be honored as an All-Academic Team, teams must compete in an NCAA Regional meet and have a cumulative team GPA of at least 3.0.

The men's team, comprised of 17 runners, finished ahead of 68 schools, tying for the 17th spot nationally. It is the 11th consecutive year the men's cross country program has been awarded the honor. Senior Eric Contreras lead the Flyers with his team-high 3.94 cumulative grade point average this past fall. Contreras was named Atlantic 10 Student-Athlete of the year for the second year in a row in November 2006.

On the women's side, Dayton's 18 member team, finished ahead of 93 schools, sitting 52nd nationally.

The complete All-Academic poll can be found at the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's web site.