The Brandon girls cross country team combined endurance on the course with excellence in the classroom this past season.
The Blackhawks, who won their first league and regional championships in school history, were recently recognized for their academic achievements by earning both team and individual Division 2 academic All-State status.
At the Dec. 13 Brandon Board of Education meeting, the Blackhawks were recognized for achieving all-state status as a team. The Blackhawks finished 13th in the state among girls cross country teams with a team grade point average of 3.74.
In addition, two members of the team, Kelly Wilson and Danielle Ashford, were named to the Division 2 All-State Academic team on an individual basis.
Brandon Superintendent Bart Jenniches said in order for a team to achieve Academic All-State status, they must advance to the state finals and attain a cumulative 3.5 grade point average.
Jenniches said the team GPA is calculated by taking the top five runners on the team (excluding freshmen) and averaging their grade point averages at the end of the cross country season.
Brandon girls cross country coach Rod Yeacker said in order to qualify for the individual academic team, student-athletes must earn a 3.8 grade point average and finish in the top half of the field at the state meet.
A total of 246 runners competed in the state finals, so the list was pared down from the top 123 finishes. From there, the 30 runners with the highest grade point averages make the individual all-academic team.
Jenniches said the team has a lot to be proud of, both athletically and academically.
‘We’re very pleased with this year’s team,? he said. ‘That was quite an accomplishment. Not only did they achieve on the field, but the achieved in the classroom. It’s an accomplishment for the girls and the coach.?