Feb. 12, 2008

FAIRBANKS, AK- After a solid fall semester both on the course and in the classroom, Alaska's Julia Coulter has earned a spot on the 2007 NCAA Division II U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team.

"For her to be that great of a student, and to be that competitive in our region really says a lot about Julia, her priorities and her athleticism," head coach Scott Jerome. "She really sets a good example for rest of our team to follow."

Majoring in biology, Coulter finished the fall semester with a 3.71 grade point average, bringing her cumulative GPA at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to 3.66. The junior from Traverse City, Michigan also received conference academic honors earlier in the year, joining five other Nanooks on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Academic Team.

Despite missing the team's first two races, Coulter produced another outstanding season for the Blue and Gold cross country team as well, taking sixth place at the Apple Ridge Run and an impressive 20th place finish at the GNAC Championships. She was also the team's top finisher at the NCAA West Regional meet: coming in 38th in the women's 6K race in Nampa, Idaho on Nov. 3.

To qualify for All-Academic honors, the student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale after 24 semester hours, as well as have finished in the top 30 percent of individual participants at their respective regional cross country championship: no easy feat, especially in the competitive West Regional (which produced this year's NCAA individual champion in Seattle Pacific's Jessica Pixler) in which Coulter and the Nanooks compete.

In addition to Coulter's individual honor, both Alaska's men's and women's cross country sides earned recognition on the 2007 Division II All-Academic Teams list. The Nanook women finished the fall semester with a 3.41 cumulative GPA, led by a 3.88 from Elisabeth Habermann and a 3.83 from freshman Nikkol Sipes.

Alaska's men recorded a cumulative GPA of 3.24, with senior Vahur Teppan and freshman Alex Morris both earning perfect 4.00. Seniors Marius Korthauer and Chris Eversman also weighed in with an impressive 3.88 GPA as well.

For the complete list of the Division II Cross Country All-Academic Teams, please visit www.ustfccca.com.