Cross Country All-Academic teams announced

East Central’s Daniel Kiptoo and West Texas A&M’s Jessica Blakely earned top honors Wednesday when Lone Star Conference officials announced the league's cross country all-academic awards.

Kiptoo was named the LSC Men's Academic Runner of the Year, while Blakely was tabbed LSC Women's Academic Runner of the Year. Both were voted to the LSC All-Academic team, which recognized 10 runners -- five men and five women -- for both academic and athletic achievement. To be eligible for the All-Academic team, student-athletes must maintain a 3.30 cumulative grade point average. The All-Academic teams are voted upon by the league's sports information directors.

Along with Kiptoo, on the men's All-Academic team were Angelo State’s Clint Bippert, West Texas A&M’s Thomas Harris, Texas A&M-Commerce’s Robert Reed and Cameron’s Julius Korir.

Joining Blakely on the women's All-Academic team were Tarleton’s Rhyland Pittenger, Incarnate Word’s Bailey Loyd, Central Oklahoma’s Alina Istrate and Angelo State’s Emeline Crutcher.

All the runners will compete in the LSC Cross Country Championships this Saturday, November 6, in Abilene, Texas.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Academic Runner of the Year: Daniel Kiptoo, East Central
Academic Runner of the Year: Jessica Blakely, West Texas A&M

2010 MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Runner Team Year Major Hometown

Daniel Kiptoo East Central Jr. Physics Eldoret, Kenya
Clint Bippert Angelo State Jr. Animal Science Castroville, Texas
Thomas Harris West Texas A&M Sr. Biology Amarillo, Texas
Robert Reed Texas A&M-Commerce Sr. Kinesiology Sachse, Texas
Julius Korir Cameron Jr. Undecided Eldoret, Kenya



2010 WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Runner Team Year Major Hometown

Jessica Blakely West Texas A&M So. Finance Hereford, Texas
Rhyland Pittenger Tarleton State So. Communications Mesquite, Texas
Bailey Loyd Incarnate Word Jr. Interior Design Bucyrus, Kansas
Emeline Crutcher Angelo State So. Biology Wellman, Texas
Megan Bryant Eastern New Mexico Jr. Graphic Design Carlsbad, N.M.



Mustangs stay at No. 3 in USTFCCCA Regional Ranking
Midwestern State maintained its No. 3 ranking in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association South Central Region rankings as released Tuesday morning.

The Mustangs will go for their third consecutive Lone Star Conference championship Saturday morning in Abilene after taking last week off.

MSU claimed its fourth meet win of the season in heavy wind and rain at the East Central Tiger Chase in Ada, Okla. two weeks ago to improve to a stellar 81-1 this season.

The Mustangs have also enjoyed victories at the MSU Cross Country Stampede, Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree and the MSU Cross Country Carnival while finishing second to NCAA Division I Tulsa at the Missouri Southern Stampede.

The NCAA Division II South Central Regional meet follows on Nov. 20 in Warrensburg, Mo. with the NCAA II Championships being held on Dec. 4 as part of the Division II Fall Sports Festival in Louisville, Ky.

The South Central Region rankings were unchanged from last week including No. 1 Pittsburg State, No. 2 Truman, MSU, No. 4 Missouri Southern, No. 5 Northwest Missouri, No. 6 Fort Hays State, No. 7 Dallas Baptist, No. 8 Central Missouri, No. 9 Emporia State and No. 10 Southwest Baptist (Mo.).