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For the third time in the last three years, the Illinois Wesleyan women’s track team has been named Division III “Scholar Team of the Year” by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
IWU was previously the winner of the honor for both indoor and outdoor track in 2008. The squad earned the distinction as a result of being the highest-placing team with at least a 3.10-cumulative grade-point average at the most recent NCAA indoor and outdoor championship, respectively.
Illinois Wesleyan had a team grade-point average of 3.23 to earn the award while national indoor champion Wartburg was the 2010 winner of the indoor “Scholar Team of the Year” with a 3.26 GPA.
In addition, the USTFCCCA announced 106 teams as All-Academic teams for the track & field seasons.
The Titans won the 2010 NCAA outdoor title with 54 points. Ali McCoy, Amanda LaRocca, Lauren Alpert, and Shavantay Thomas took the top spot in the 4x100-meter relay for the Titans at the national meet. LaRocca would also finish runner-up in the 100 and 200 meters and also finished third in the 100-meter hurdles to total 24½ points for the Titan cause. Thomas was third in the 100 meters and fourth at 200 meters. McCoy would go on to finish seventh in the 200 and eighth in the 400. Alpert was seventh also in the long jump. In addition, McCoy and Alpert teamed with Mackenzie and Tara Clemens for third in the 4x400-meter relay.
In addition to the team honors, the USTFCCCA also announced the women’s and men’s 2010 Division III All-Academic Track & Field team. A total of 330 female student-athletes representing 99 institutions compose the group, including Mackenzie Clemens, Kerry Devitt, Ashley Heilingoetter, Alpert, LaRocca and McCoy.
For the men, Illinois Wesleyan’s Aaron Ball, Kevin Kapolnek and Tyler Saunders were among the 202 student-athletes representing 74 institutions honored by the USTFCCCA.