By: By: Bill Morgal, Sports Information Director
NEW ORLEANS – Senior
Stephen Schelander received All-Academic certification for cross country on Thursday afternoon by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Schelander has now been honored for his academic success in all four of his collegiate seasons of competition.
Schelander, a sociology major with a 3.80 cumulative GPA, was a PSAC Fall Top 10 award winner. He served as Shippensburg's No. 1 runner in all six of his races this season, including three in the postseason. The Raiders finished second at PSACs and third at NCAA regionals, resulting in the team's third-straight appearance at the NCAA national championships.
Schelander earned All-PSAC accolades for the third time in his career by finishing third at the 2011 PSAC Cross Country Championships with an 8K PR of 24:37. He also earned his third career USTFCCCA All-Region designation after placing third at the 2011 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Championships with a third-place finish and by matching his 10K PR of 31:53.
At the NCAA national championships, Schelander finished one spot short of achieving All-America honors by finishing in 41st place.
To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team in Division II, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or greater through the most-recent semester, completed at least 12 credit hours in the semester of cross country competition, and placed in the top 50 percent at the most recent NCAA National Championships or in the top 30 percent at the NCAA Regional Championships.
