Three Women's Cross Country Runners Named to USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 | Cross Country
University of Florida cross country runners sophomore Genevieve LaCaze (Daisy Hill, Australia), redshirt sophomore Rebecca Lowe (Vaucluse, Australia) and senior Julie Northrup (Vero Beach, Fla.) were named to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USFCCCA) All-Academic team, announced by the organization.
LaCaze, currently on a pharmacy track, earned two top-10 finished in 2009, including a seventh-place finish at the Southeastern Conference meet where the Gators took first place. The top-10 placing earned LaCaze her second All-SEC accolade in her two years donning the Orange and Blue. The sophomore recorded the fourth-best 6K time in UF history with a 11th-place finish at the NCAA South Region meet, where the Gators also took first and LaCaze contributed scoring fourth. She also helped UF to seventh at the NCAA Championships, the highest finish in the program's history, finishing 96th overall, fourth among the Gators.
Lowe, a business major, was stellar for the Gator in 2009 after sitting out the 2008 season with an injury. She finished first for the Gators in the SEC and NCAA South Region Championships, also finishing first overall to win the individual champion award. She was also the first Gator to cross the finish line at the National Championship, earning All-America honors with a 15th-place victory. She set two Florida records and graced two other top-10 lists in just 2009 alone.
Northrup, a business administration major, finished her career with the Orange and Blue in great fashion, scoring in every meet she competed in. She recorded the fifth best 6K time at the NCAA South Regional meet, finishing 17th overall and the sixth best time at the national meet. She also placed ninth overall at the conference meet to earn her first career All-SEC honor.
The USTFCCCA All-Academic team honors student-athletes who have succeeded both academically and athletically. To be eligible, a student-athlete must record a minimum 3.25 GPA, have at least three semesters of coursework completed and must finish among the top-15 finishers (or top-10 percent) of the field at their respective NCAA regional meet.
The 104 USTFCCCA All-Academic honorees represent 57 schools around the country. The list also includes seven regional champions, including Lowe, and three who finished in the nation's top 10. The SEC tallied eight female student-athletes on the list. Angela Birzzarri of Illinois was the 2009 NCAA Division I USTFCCCA Women's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
