Green and MacLeod Nab USTFCCCA All-Academic Honors
2/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Feb. 16, 2011
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's cross country team has earned its sixth-straight U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team honor, as announced by the USTFCCCA on Wednesday, Feb. 16. Overall, MSU has received All-Academic Team distinction on 10 different occasions, dating back to 1994.
To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team, the team must have had a cumulative team GPA of 3.00 or better and have started at least five regional at their respective NCAA regional championship.
As a team, the Spartans won the NCAA Great Lakes Regional by 16 points over second-place Michigan, their first since taking titles in 2006 and 2007. Michigan State placed three in the race's top 11 at the regional meet. MSU also captured its third Big Ten title in school history, and first since 2001, when it topped second-place Wisconsin by 14 points.
Nabbing USTFCCCA All-Academic honors for the second year in a row was junior Carlie Green. Green was joined this year by senior Emily MacLeod who earned her first All-Academic award of her career. To be eligible, a student-athlete must carry a minimum 3.25 cumulative grade point average and must finish among the top 15 finishers (or top 10 percent) of the field at their respective NCAA regional meet.
As a team, the Spartans have posted 22 representatives, 13 different student-athletes, on the USTFCCCA All-Academic list since 1991. Green and MacLeod also allow MSU to improve its streak to six-straight years with at least one student-athlete receiving All-Academic honors.
Green ended the season sixth at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional with a time of 20:41.98. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Green was also seventh at the Big Ten Championships when she clocked in a time of 20:34.4. At the NCAA Championships, Green placed 107th overall when she crossed the finish in 21:21.7.
Green earned both All-Big Ten as well as All-Region honors following her performances at each race. The Milford, Mich., native turned in a season-best time of 20:26.7 at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational, aiding in the team's third-place finish at the event. Green has consistently finished as one of MSU's top runners all season long ranking alongside MacLeod following each of their races.
Green becomes MSU's first back-to-back honoree since Lisa Senakiewich earned All-Academic honors following the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
 Emily MacLeod earned USTFCCCA All-Academic distinction for the first time in her career.  | |
The Loveland, Ohio, native led the Spartans this season in each of her six races she has competed in, finishing in the top-nine in five of the six races. MacLeod was the top runner in three races this year, highlighted by her first place showing at both the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Great Lakes Regional.
MacLeod captured NCAA Great Lakes Region Athlete of the Year honors, going along with her Big Ten Athlete of the Year honors following the 2010 Big Ten Championships. MacLeod went on to become the 16th All-American in program history as she finished 37th overall at the 2010 NCAA Cross Country Championships when she clocked a time of 20:48.1.
As a conference, the Big Ten posted 10 of its 11 teams on the All-Academic Team list and six student-athletes received All-Academic honors. The Spartans were joined by Ohio State with a conference leading two student-athletes receiving USTFCCCA individual distinction.
Players Mentioned
