NEW ORLEANS - The College of Charleston men's and women's cross country teams were honored by being named 2010 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Teams.

The Cougars totaled a team grade-point average of 3.42 on a 4.0 scale for the women and 3.28 for the men. On the women's side a total of 192 institutions representing 30 conferences were honored. Nine of the 11 Southern Conference schools were on the list. On the men's side 152 schools from 31 conferences were honored with eight teams coming from the SoCon.

Keith Merritt, Director of Academic Services said he was very proud of the work of both teams.

"It's a real pleasure watching the men's and women's cross country teams achieve such high marks academically," he said.  "Each and every one of them has placed a high value on work ethic and dedication to academics and it shows."

CofC Head Coach Amy Seago echoed Merritt's praise.

"I'm very proud of the men's and women's teams for this achievement and feel they are well deserving," Seago said." We feel it is every important to not only do well in competition but also academically."

To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team, a 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.