Women's Cross Country | 2/4/2022 1:59:32 PM
Nazareth College junior Megan Morin, St. John Fisher College juniors Riley Corey and Morgan Gould and Utica College first-year standout Jade Dening earned 2021 NCAA Division III All-Academic Individual honors, announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Overall, there were 203 women from 105 different institutions who were named All-Academic Individuals in NCAA Division III during the 2021 season. In order to qualify for All-Academic distinction, student athletes must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale and finish in the top-25 percent of their respective regional championship meet.
Morin, an occupational therapy major, earned All-Empire 8 first team honors in 2021 after finishing seventh at the league championship meet in a personal best time of 23:18.4 over the 6,000-meter course. A native of Greenfield Center, NY, Morin excelled at the NCAA Division III Niagara Region Cross Country Championship, placing 19th overall to earn All-Region accolades.
Corey, a native of Waterloo, NY, was named the Empire 8 Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Year for the second straight season in 2021. The nursing major also represented the Empire 8 at the 2021 NCAA Division III Women’s Cross Country Championship on Nov. 20, earning a top-100 finish. She won her second straight Empire 8 Championship in dominating fashion at the Washington County Fairgrounds on Oct. 30, finishing 45 seconds ahead of the field in a league championship record time of 22:04.4 over the 6,000-meter distance. Two weeks later on Nov. 13, Corey finished fourth overall at the NCAA Atlantic Region Championship hosted by SUNY Geneseo, which not only was the top performance ever by a St. John Fisher runner in that event, but also allowed her to qualify for nationals. Corey, who also won the Houghton Highlander Invitational on Oct. 9, was a six-time Empire 8 Runner of the Week in 2021.
Gould, an inclusive adolescence education major who hails from Marcellus, NY, garnered All-Empire 8 first team honors for the second consecutive season in 2021 after finishing fifth at the league championship meet in a personal best time of 23:09.2 over the 6,000-meter course. She also earned All-Atlantic Region honors after placing 27th overall at the regional championship.
Dening, a native of Remsen, NY, enjoyed a tremendous first season for the Pioneers in 2021, garnering Empire 8 Rookie of the Year accolades. The public relations and marketing major finished fourth overall at the Empire 8 Championship on Oct. 30 in a season-best time of 23:08.6 over 6,000-meters. She was also the top first-year finisher among all Empire 8 runners at the NCAA Atlantic Region Championship hosted by SUNY Geneseo on Nov. 13. In that race, she earned All-Atlantic Region honors, placing 23rd overall. Dening, a two-time Empire 8 Runner of the Week, earned four top-10 finishes in 2021 and was an All-Empire 8 first team selection.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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