Two Former NMU Track And Field Student-Athletes Honored
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Two former members of the Northern Michigan University track and field team added another award to their collection. Maegan Hendershot and Krista Squiers were named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) women’s 2010 Division II All-Academic Track & Field Team. A record total of 276 student-athletes representing 72 institutions compose the group. Slippery Rock, Shippensburg, and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) member Grand Valley State led the way with 12 representatives on the All-Academic Team each.
To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track & Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or better and have met either the NCAA Division II Indoor or Outdoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard in their respective event.
Head coach Tom Barnes couldn’t be more pleased with his two captains from last season who helped guide a very young club to fourth-place finish at the 2010 GLIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
“It goes to show the high levels student-athletes show not only on the field but in the classroom,” said Barnes. “These are two people that will be very successful and both have great attitudes.”
NMU Athletic Director Ken Godfrey was very pleased in how these two young ladies represented not only themselves but their team, their school and the athletic department.
“Both girls have been outstanding both academically and athletically in their careers,” said Godfrey. “They are what athletics are all about, being able to show your passion for a sport they love and getting a degree by excelling in the classroom which will get them through life.”
As a team the NMU track and field squad was named as a 2010 Division II All-Academic Track & Field Team. The Wildcats were one of 67 institutions to earn the distinction as a result of a cumulative team grade point average of 3.0 or better. As a team the ‘Cats had a GPA of 3.26. This is the fourth year in a row that NMU has received this award.