Aug. 13, 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky’s track and field teams were honored by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for being part of the organization’s list of 2014 All-Academic Teams, it was announced on Wednesday.
“A big thanks goes out to our CATS academic advisor, Mike Pirrman and all that he has done with our program’s academics,” UK head track and field coach Edrick Floreal said. “We have high expectations for our student-athletes for their performance on the track, but even higher standards in the classroom. We are proud as a staff about our team’s accomplishments in the classroom and we look forward to getting better each year.”
Both Kentucky’s men’s and women’s teams received the honor by the USTFCCCA. The 2014 award marks the second-consecutive season the Kentucky’s women’s team has been honored with the academic award.
As the highest-placing teams with at least a 3.00 cumulative team grade point average at this season’s indoor and/or outdoor NCAA Division I Championships, teams that garnered the award stood out among 208 women’s teams and 116 men’s programs that combined academic and athletic achievement to earn All-Academic Team honors this season.
UK’s women’s teams earned a season GPA of 3.38, which was just two tenths of a point off a top-five finish in the nation for highest female GPA. On the men’s side, the Wildcats earned a season GPA of 3.12, which was also just two tenths of a point away from being inside the top five GPAs in the nation.
Eleven individual Kentucky track and field Wildcats, four men and seven women, were named All-Academic honorees earlier in the summer by the USTFCCCA for the 2014 season.
The academic honors added to one of the best seasons in UK track and field history as the women’s team earned its highest finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships ever (seventh) in addition to the highest NCAA Indoor Championships team score in school history.
For all Kentucky track and field and cross country news and information, go to UKathletics.com, and follow the Cats on Twitter at “KentuckyTrack.”
