UF Men's Track Earns Scholar Team of the Year Honors
The University of Findlay men's track and field program earned NCAA Division II Scholar Team of the Year honors from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on July 17. The award goes to the highest ranking team at the NCAA Division II National Championship with at least a 3.00 grade point average.
Findlay's men posted a cumulative team grade point average of 3.08 during a 2014-15 campaign that saw the Oilers finish tied for second place with Grand Valley State at the NCAA Indoor Championship and an outright second place at the NCAA Outdoor Championship. Findlay edged out the Lakers for the indoor Scholar Team honor, 3.08 to 3.03.
The Oilers came within five points of the indoor national team title with 40 points and came even closer to the outdoor title with a 50-point effort to fall just short of the 53 posted by champ Saint Augustine's.
Four Oilers earned all-academic individual honors, including two-time shot put national runner-up Taylor Miller.
Findlay becomes the second Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) team in as many years to sweep the indoor/outdoor men's Scholar Team of the Year award, following in the footsteps of rival Ashland from a year ago.
The other athletes from the men's squad to earn all-academic accolades were Ben Hahler, Jacob Miller and Matias Trampe-Kindt.
In addition, the UF women's track and field team earned all-academic honors as well with a 3.45 GPA. They finished 22nd among all NCAA Division II teams with their GPA. The team also had nine individuals capture all-academic honors. Taylor Ackerman, Kendra Averesch, Erica Bettac, Kirsten Gaerke, Samantha Grippe, Maud Sanmiquel, Pam Showman, Liz Streacker and Shelby Stump each earned the accolade.