July 16, 2003

NSU TRACK & FIELD AMONG NATION’S BEST IN CLASSROOM

ABERDEEN, SD: Northern State University’s women’s track & field team has received the NCAA II all-academic team award voted upon by the United States Track Coaches Association (USTCA) and the NCAA II Track Coaches Association. This is the ninth straight year that the NSU track women have been honored with this award and, combined with cross country, is the 18th straight time Coach Jim Fuller’s teams have earned all-academic recognition.

To qualify for the award, teams needed to post a team grade point average above 3.0 while NSU’s women boast an overall GPA of 3.12.

Individually, Kristin Peterson (Jr., Arlington, S.D.) was named as an NCAA II academic all-American in track & field. It is the third time in her career that Peterson has earned the award (2 track, 1 cross country).

To be honored as an academic all-American, student-athletes must maintain above a 3.25 GPA and meet to NCAA II qualifying marks. Kristin holds a perfect 4.0 GPA with a major in biology and met the NCAA II National meet qualifying time in the 3000 meter steeplechase. Her time of 11:18.2 is also an NSU school record.

For Peterson, this is the second major award that she has received this season also earning Verizon Academic All-American second team status earlier this year.