Stockton University Athletics

Cross Country Teams Earn USTFCCCA Academic Honors

Women's Cross Country | 1/31/2023 12:24:00 PM

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Galloway, N.J. - The Stockton University men's and women's cross country teams each qualified for All-Academic Team status from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, a squad must have a cumulative team GPA of 3.10 or higher.
 
Stockton men's runner Cooper Knorr Manalapan/Manalapan) and women's teammates Jessie Klenk (Somerdale/Sterling), Jaelyn Barkley (Hope/Belvidere), Kayla Kass (Bayonne/County Prep), Rachel Hayes (Marlboro/St. John Vianney) and Guinevere Kennedy (South Amboy/South Amboy) notched recognition as USTFCCCA All-Academic Athletes individually.
 
The Stockton women's squad amassed an excellent 3.59 cumulative team grade point average while the Osprey men's team posted an impressive 3.21 team GPA. Jayson Resch coaches the Stockton men's and women's teams. Overall, 137 women's teams and 119 men's teams from NCAA Division III met the requirements for All-Academic Team honors.
 
Knorr, Klenk, Hayes, Barkley, Kass and Kennedy qualified for All-Academic Athlete kudos by compiling a grade point average above 3.30 and finishing among the top 25 percent of runners at the NCAA Metro Regionals. Five of the six Ospreys earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete nods in cross country for the first time, with Klenk earning her second straight honor.
 
Knorr, a Business Studies major, was Stockton's top male finisher at the NCAA Metro Regional and qualified for the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships. The senior tied for the best finish ever by a Stockton male at NCAA regionals as he placed 10th out of 176 runners with an 8K time of 21:18 to earn an All-Region spot.
 
Klenk, a Biology major, repeated as an All-Region performer by placing 29th at NCAA Regionals with a time of 24:25. The senior also was an NJAC Second Team runner this season.
 
Barkley, a Nursing major, placed seventh out of 170 runners with a time of 23:27 for six kilometers. Her seventh-place finish was the second-best in Stockton history by a female at an NCAA regional meet and qualified her for the NCAA Championships. The sophomore also was NJAC First Team and NJAC Runner of the Week once this season.
 
Kass, a Health Science major, added an All-Region prize to a list of honors that includes NJAC Rookie of the Year, NJAC First Team and four-time NJAC Rookie of the Week for her outstanding freshman season. Kass finished 16th with a time of 24:05.
 
Kennedy, an Exercise Science major, made it two Stockton freshmen on the All-Region list by crossing the finish line 35th at 24:35. She also earned an NJAC Second Team nod this year.
 
Hayes, who is undecided for her major, ran a time of 24:50.6 for 40th place at the NCAA Metro Regional which placed her in the top 25 percent and qualified her for the academic honor.