Aug. 26, 2002

Miami's women's cross country and track & field teams were rewarded for their 3.44 GPA and 3.20 GPA, respectively, by earning Academic All-American Team status from the United States Track Coaches Association. Miami had the 18th best cross country GPA and 15th best track and field GPA. The track and field mark was the highest team GPA in the Mid-American Conference while the cross country team's GPA rated second in the MAC. Two-time all-MAC performer Andrea Kremer earned academic all-American status for the second consecutive season as a result of her 3.84 GPA while also meeting the NCAA qualifying standard in the 3000 steeplechase last spring.

The women's cross country team is rated fourth by the MAC head coaches in the preseason poll for the 2002 season. The RedHawk team finished fourth in the MAC Cross Country Championships while the women's track and field team finished ninth in the MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships last year. Juniors Andrea Kremer and Kristen Fryburg both were named first-team all-MAC performers.

"It is quite a feat to have our cross country team ranked 18th out of the 317 Division I teams and our track team ranked 15th out of 297 Division I teams regarding grade point averages," head coach Richard Ceronie said. "When it comes to academics in women's cross country and track, Miami is clearly the leader in the MAC."

This is the second academic all-American honor for Kremer, a mathematics major. She received the same award in cross country last fall. During the 2001 season, she became just the second female in school history to earn all-America honors in cross country, a distinction she earned after placing 25th at the NCAA Championships. She has been an all-MAC performer for six consecutive seasons due to her honors in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field.

"Now that she has received this academic honor twice, no other athlete in the MAC can lay claim to being an academic all-American in both cross country and track on a consistent basis like Andrea," Ceronie said.

The RedHawks open their season on Sept. 7th when they host the Miami Invitational in Oxford, Ohio.