Feb. 10, 2012

USTFCCCA Release

NEW ORLEANS - Chris Derrick was named the USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Men's Scholar Athlete of the Year for the 2011 cross country season on Friday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Derrick was the NCAA Division I cross country national runner-up during the 2011 fall season. Derrick also won the same award for the 2010 season.

Scholar Athletes are determined from among those who earned All-Academic status and placed highest individually at the most recent NCAA Championships.

Derrick completed his historic cross-country career this fall with his fourth-straight season with a top-10 individual finish. He became just the sixth runner in NCAA history to accomplish that feat. Derrick is now an 11-time All-American and twice the National Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Joining Derrick on the National All-Academic Team was Jacob Riley. Riley is a repeat winner of the award after placing 18th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Riley is now a seven-time All-American and will complete his career at Stanford after the current indoor season.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and have either earned USTFCCCA All-America status or finished in the NCAA region's top 15 (or top 10 percent) in 2011.