University of Washington named Division I Outdoor Scholar Team of the Year for 2008...

NEW ORLEANS--Stanford University and the University of Washington earned a 2008 post-season honor on Wednesday as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced the men's 2008 Division I Indoor and Outdoor Scholar Teams of the Year.

Washington capped a strong outdoor campaign with the honor of being named the 2008 Division I Outdoor Scholar Team of the Year. The Huskies finished 16th at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June, finishing with 19.33 points, the most Washington has scored at an outdoor meet since 1983. Washington matched their athletic success with success in the classroom, maintaining a team cumulative GPA of 3.080.

Washington led a total of four teams with top-25 finishes at the 2008 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships on the All-Academic Team list. The University of Idaho, Virginia Tech, and Cornell University were the other three top-25 teams to earn All-Academic honors.

"This is a huge honor for us," said sixth-year UW head coach Greg Metcalf. "It's a statement on the quality of the young men. They managed to excel on the track and in the classroom collectively. They have accomplished as much as any group we've had over the last four years across the board."

Washington led a total of four teams with top-25 finishes at the 2008 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships on the All-Academic Team list. The University of Idaho, Virginia Tech, and Cornell University were the other three top-25 teams to earn All-Academic honors.

Announced in conjunction with the team award was the individual All-Academic team, which featured Husky senior James Fredrickson, juniors David Nyland and Jared O'Connor, and sophomores Scott Roth and Jake Schmitt (above/photo by Paul Merca). Fredrickson was part of UW's Pac-10 Champion 4x100m relay unit, O'Connor finished 2nd in the pole vault at NCAA Outdoors, and Roth and Schmitt were both NCAA competitors as well.

The Husky women's track and field team was also recognized for its work in the classroom, as they finished with a 3.200 cumulative GPA. Seniors Kelley DiVesta, Amanda Miller, and Trisha Rasmussen all earned individual All-Academic honors.

NOTE: The University of Washington and the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) contributed to this report.