Feb. 22, 2007

Over hill and dale, Iona College was one of the top teams in the country, finishing third at the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championships.

In the classroom, Iona buckled down equally well, maintaining a cumulative team grade point average of 3.170. Their success in both venues earns the Gaels the singular honor of 2006 NCAA Division I All-Academic Men's Cross Country Team of the Year.

Stanford's Neftalem Araia, the second-place individual finisher at the NCAA Championships, is the Division I All-Academic Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Year. The announcements were made Thursday by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Iona placed third at the NCAA meet with 172 points, trailing only Colorado (94) and defending men's champion Wisconsin (142).

The All-Academic Men's Cross Country Team of the Year is awarded to the highest-finishing school at the NCAA Championships that meets All-Academic team qualifications (a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA during the 2006 fall term).

Iona's team consisted of Edward Baynes, Pat Caulfield, Evan Garber, Adam Hortian, Mohamed Khadraoui, Mathew Kiplagat, Andrew Ledwith, Abraham Ng'eitch, Harbert Okuti, Chase Pizzonia, Tim Leonard, Tim Bayley, Philip Burkart and Tim Clark. Mick Byrne is Iona's coach.

A total of 87 teams received Division I Men's All-Academic Cross Country Team honors for the 2006 season. To be honored as an All-Academic Team, teams must compete in an NCAA regional meet and have at least a cumulative team GPA of 3.0.

Wright State University had the highest cumulative GPA of any of the All-Academic teams (3.707).

Araia, a communications major from Indianapolis, had a 3.435 grade point average. Araia was second to BYU's Josh Rohatinsky at the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind.

To earn All-Academic individual honors, runners were required to have at least a cumulative GPA of 3.25. Fifty men earned All-Academic individual honors for the 2006 cross country season.

North Carolina State and William & Mary each had four runners earn All-Academic individual honors.

Stanford is the NCAA Division I All-Academic Women's Cross Country Team of the Year. Colorado's Jenny Barringer is the Division I All-Academic Women's Athlete of the Year. For more information, see www.ustfccca.org.

USTFCCCA Division I All-Academic Men's Cross Country Teams
(cumulative team GPAs in parentheses)

Team of the Year: Iona College (3.170)

Coach:
Mick Byrne

Team Roster:
Edward Baynes
Pat Caulfield
Evan Garber
Adam Hortian
Mohamed Khadraoui
Mathew Kiplagat
Andrew Ledwith
Abraham Ng'etich
Harbert Okuti
Chase Pizzonia
Tim Leonard
Tim Bayley
Philip Burkart
Tim Clark

Air Force Academy	3.097
Alabama, University of	3.178
Arizona State University	3.070
Arkansas Little Rock, University of	3.470
Belmont University	3.300
Binghamton University	3.205
Boston University	3.070
Bradley University	3.197
Brown University	3.490
Bucknell University	3.180
Brigham Young University	3.280
Central Michigan University	3.275
Cincinnati, University of	3.330
Colgate University	3.310
College of William & Mary	3.030
Cornell University	3.160
Dartmouth College	3.180
Davidson College	3.150
Dayton, University of	3.327
Delaware, University of	3.040
Detroit Mercy, University of	3.327
Drake University	3.485
East Tennessee State University	3.110
Eastern Kentucky University	3.186
Eastern Washington University	3.290
Evansville, University of	3.320
Florida, University of	3.205
George Mason University	3.230
Georgia, University of	3.080
Harvard University	3.312
Hofstra University	3.055
Idaho State University	3.090
Idaho, University of	3.185
Illinois, University of	3.157
Indiana State University	3.390
Indiana University	3.060
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne	3.200
Iowa State University	3.500
Iowa, University of	3.060
Jacksonville State University	3.200
Jacksonville State University	3.200
Lehigh University	3.116
Liberty University	3.205
Loyola College, Maryland	3.198
Loyola Marymount University	3.170
Manhattan College	3.126
Marshall University	3.279
Miami University (Ohio)	3.280
Miami, University of	3.340
Michigan State University	3.080
Minnesota, University of	3.100
Missouri, University of	3.406
Monmouth University	3.242
Montana State University	3.490
New Hampshire, University of	3.080
North Carolina State University	3.250
Notre Dame, University of	3.262
Ohio State University	3.325
Ohio University	3.247
Oklahoma State University	3.442
Penn State University	3.310
Pittsburgh, University of	3.147
Portland, University of	3.296
Richmond, University of	3.260
Rutgers University	3.311
Sacred Heart University	3.054
Siena College	3.050
South Dakota State University	3.373
Stanford University	3.343
Tennessee, University of	3.170
Texas Christian University	3.080
Texas El Paso, University of	3.150
Texas Tech University	3.090
Texas, University of	3.066
UCLA	3.212
Utah State, University of	3.110
Valparaiso University	3.019
Vanderbilt University	3.400
Vermont, University of	3.274
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University	3.250
Virginia, University of	3.007
Washington State University	3.110
Washington, University of	3.170
Weber State University	3.540
Western Kentucky University	3.120
Wichita State University	3.160
Wright State University	3.707
Yale University	3.530

2006 NCAA Division I All-Academic Men's Cross Country
Individual Honors

Patrick Mellea	Boston College
Christo Landry	College of William & Mary
Dave Mock	College of William & Mary
Ian Fitzgerald	College of William & Mary
Keith Bechtel	College of William & Mary
Brenton Vaughn	Colorado, University of
Erik Heinonen	Colorado, University of
Max Feldman	Connecticut, University of
Jacob Korir	Eastern Kentucky University
Corey Nowitzke	Eastern Michigan University
Andrew Lemoncello	Florida State University
Thomas Lancashire	Florida State University
Steven Hassen	Florida, University of
Mark Steeds	Georgia State University
Ian Burrell	Georgia, University of
Sean Barrett	Harvard University
Timothy Galebach	Harvard University
Jason Bill	Illinois, University of
Kiel Uhl	Iowa State University
Eric MacTaggart	Iowa, University of
Matt Bartlebaugh	Michigan State University
Dan Hedgecock	Missouri, University of
Tim Ross	Missouri, University of
David Kemboi	Norfolk State University
Chris Kollar	North Carolina State University
John Crews	North Carolina State University
Stephen Faust	North Carolina State University
Tibor Vegh	North Carolina State University
Patrick Smyth	Notre Dame, University of
David Jankowsi	Oklahoma State University
Joe Gray	Oklahoma State University
Galen Rupp	Oregon, University of
Dan Mazzocco	Penn State University
John Moore	Portland, University of
Matt Sheeks	Portland, University of
David Nightingale	Princeton University
Neftalem Hadgu Araia	Stanford University
Jeff Day	Tennessee, University of
Shadrack Songok	Texas A&M University Corpus Christi
Japheth Ng'ojoy	Texas El Paso, University of
Stephen Samoei	Texas El Paso, University of
Kyle Shackleton	UCLA
Paul LaPenna	Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Andrew Dumm	Virginia, University of
Alexander Grant	Washington State University
Woodham Favinger	Washington State University
Jeremy Mineau	Washington, University of
Mike Sayenko	Washington, University of
Seth Pilkingto	Weber State University
Timothy Nelson	Wisconsin, University of