MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY RECOGNIZED BY NCAA

4/26/2007

The Sacramento State men’s cross country team was recognized for ranking among the top 10 percent of all squads nationally in that sport in the latest Academic Progress Report scores, the NCAA announced today.

More than 800 teams representing 217 Division I colleges and universities were recognized for posting high multi-year APR scores in their respective sports.  

“Cross country’s recognition is the result of years of continuous effort by our student-athletes, staff and coaches,” Sacramento State Athletics Director Terry Wanless said.  “The Student Athlete Resource Center staff has worked tirelessly to help our student-athletes stay on the path to graduation, so we are pleased – but not satisfied – with today’s announcement.”

Among the eight NCAA Division I institutions in the California State University system, Sacramento State was one of four to be recognized by the NCAA today.  Also, among the nine schools in the Big Sky Conference, the Hornets are one of four to have a team ranked in the top 10 percent of their respective sport.

The NCAA is scheduled to release its full APR report next week and Sacramento State will also have a pair of programs that will receive contemporaneous penalties, an improvement from the previous year.

 “It is hard to convey just how little difference there is between being a team rated in the top 10 percent nationally and being hit with a contemporaneous penalty,” Wanless said.  “In the case of a smaller squad like cross country, it can be just one or two students not returning to school the next year for whatever reason.

“The APR has had a significant impact on the landscape of college athletics over the past few years and will continue to have a positive effect on our efforts to retain and graduate student-athletes.”