NEW ORLEANS – The SU men's cross country team followed in the footsteps of the women's squad on Wednesday with its third straight United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic team selection.
Syracuse, with a team grade point average of 3.22, is one of 11 BIG EAST teams to earn the distinction, the most of any conference in the nation. To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team, the team must have had a cumulative team GPA of 3.00 or better and have started at least five runners at their respective NCAA regional championship.
The Orange was led by senior
Pat Dupont in 2011, who led SU in every race he ran during the season, highlighted by an All-American performance at the NCAA Championships with a 37th place finish (30:09.30). He is the first Syracuse harrier since Roy Osterhaut in 1952 and 1953 to be named an All-American in consecutive seasons. Dupont (Fairpont, N.Y.) also earned All-BIG EAST and All-Northeast Regional honors in 2011.
Redshirt sophomore
Sean Keefe also competed in postseason races for the Orange, including a 15th place finish at the NCAA Northeast Regionals in Buffalo with a time of 31:42.90 to earn All-Northeast Regional honors. The Churchville, Pa. native, along with Dupont, earned USTFCCCA All-Academic individual honors last week.