COOKEVILLE, Tenn.— Winning with integrity has always been a mission for Mark Wilson's Tennessee Tech athletics department for many years, and the Golden Eagle men and women's cross country teams continue to provide an example of what that means. 

For their efforts both athletically and academically, the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) named Tennessee Tech to the 2016 Division I Men and Women's Cross Country All-Academic Teams. The men's squad earned a cumulative GPA of 3.01 this past season, while the women earned a 3.37 GPA. This marked the second honor on the women's side and the first for the men. 

"The pursuit of academic and athletic excellence is what we teach our athletes to strive for every day at Tennessee Tech," head coach Wayne Angel remarked. "We develop men and women of character here and that is the standard by which we gauge our success." 

Both the men and women's teams have had a very good 2016 season, finishing fifth and seventh respectfully at the Ohio Valley Conference Championships last October. Freshman Gilbert Boit won the individual title, notching Tech's first ever on the men's side. Boit also earned the honor of OVC Freshman of the Year while newcomer Micayla Rennick broke the school record in the 5K and earned All-OVC first team accolades. 

At the NCAA South Regionals, the teams placed 11th (men) and 21st (women), with Boit placing 11th individually. Boit's performance earned him a slot on the All-South Region team, but landed him just shy of earning a berth to the NCAA Championships. 

"It is an honor for our young men and women to receive this award," Angel continued. "It brings great credit upon themselves, the university, and the city of Cookeville. I am very proud of both teams."

Photos by Thomas Corhern