Three Bulls Named to Academic All-MAC Cross Country Teams
1/29/2013 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
BUFFALO, NY – Three University at Buffalo athletes have been named to the Academic All-Mid-American Conference Men's and Women's Cross Country teams. The league announced its honorees from its Cleveland headquarters this morning.
Men's runners Zach Ahart and Zack Krause and women's runner Emma Denton were named to their respective Academic All-MAC teams. This is the first time that Ahart and Krause have been named to the men's list. Denton earned Academic All-MAC honors in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field during the 2011-12 school year.
Ahart, a junior chemistry major with a 3.422 grade point average, earned All-MAC Second Team honors with his ninth-place finish at the MAC Championships (25:02.4). Ahart also finished 110th of 239 at Northeast Regionals (32:36.7) for 10K. During the regular season, he finished second of 80 at UB Stampede Invite (25:19.2) and set his fastest 8K time of season at Princeton Invitational in 24:48 to finish 23rd of 212.
Krause, a sophomore exercise science major with a 3.299 grade point average also earned All-MAC Second Team honors at the league championship meet as he finished 14th in a season-best 8K time of 25:22.8. Krause finished 63rd of 239 at Northeast Regionals (31:42.7) for 10K and placed eighth of 80 at UB Stampede Invitational (25:38.1).
Denton, a senior exercise and nutrition science major with a 3.905 grade point average, finished 56th at MAC Championships in 22:59.5. She also finished 131st of 253 at Northeast Regionals in a top 6K time of 22:28.7. During the regular season, Denton placed 17th of 59 at UB Stampede Invitational in 18:48.1 for 5K.
"We keep a very high level of academic expectation for our student-athletes," said head coach Vicki Mitchell. "Earning the Academic All-MAC team honors is a great recognition for our student-athletes."
The UB men finished fifth of nine teams at the MAC Championships and 16th at the NCAA Northeast Regionals. The UB women placed seventh at the MAC and 15th at the Northeast Championships, their highest finish since 2006. The Bulls hosted the 2012 MAC Championships.
A total of 24 athletes (eight men and 16 women) were named to the Academic All-MAC teams.
To be nominated, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport. First-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award. Outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments from the current season only are considered. The Academic All-MAC team is voted on by the league's faculty athletic representatives.
