Darcy Dubuc

Anna Henry

Mary Pfeifer

Kevin Frick

Springfield, Ohio — Following a 2009 season that established new standards for the program, Wittenberg cross country standouts Darcy Dubuc, class of 2012 from Grand Haven, Mich., Anna Henry, class of 2012 from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Mary Pfeifer, class of 2012 from Dublin, Ohio, and Kevin Frick, class of 2011 from Columbus, Ohio, were recently named to the NCAA Division III United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team.

Dubuc, Henry, Pfeifer and Frick all qualified for the award after carrying a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.3 while finishing among the top 35 at the 2009 NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region championships. Pfeifer led all Wittenberg runners in the meet, finishing 11th to become the Tigers' first national qualifier since 2002, while Dubuc placed 26th and Henry ended up 27th. Frick paced the Tiger men with a 33rd-place finish.

Dubuc and Pfeifer were also first-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) honorees in 2009, while Henry claimed second-team honors as the Tiger women finished a program-best second as a team in the conference. Frick placed 16th in the men's conference meet, becoming the first Wittenberg male cross country student-athlete to earn postseason recognition since 2001.

Dubuc, Henry and Pfeifer are all majoring in biology, while Frick is working toward a degree in education and history. Dubuc also earned the award for the combination of her academic and athletic performance in 2008.

In addition, both Tiger teams earned All-Academic Team awards for their collective performances in the classroom. The Tiger women were among 153 NCAA Division III programs to receive the honor, while the Tiger men were among 110 Division III programs to make the list. To be considered, a team must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA regional meet while earning a minimum team cumulative grade point average of 3.10.

The Tiger women placed a program-best seventh at the 2009 NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region championship meet, while compiling a 3.27 team grade point average. On the men's side, Wittenberg finished 25th in the regional competition while compiling a 3.26 team grade point average.

The USTFCCCA includes more than 8,000 coaching members of all three NCAA divisions as well as high schools from across the country. The organization serves as an advocate for cross country and track and field coaches, providing leadership structure to assist the needs of a diverse membership.

Written by: Ryan Maurer
Photos by: Erin Pence

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