MARCH 23, 2007 

 4 SMC Runners Named Academic All-Americans
NJCAA Ranks SMC Men 11th, Women 15th in Team GPA

SPARTANBURG, SC – Members of the Spartanburg Methodist College cross country team have recently received post-season recognition for academic performance by the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Cross Country Coaches Association.

Three members of the SMC men’s team and one member of the SMC women’s team have been named NJCAA Cross Country Academic All-Americans, for achieving a grade-point average of at least 3.40.

Kara Harper, the sole member of the women’s team to receive the Academic All-American honor, earned a 4.0 GPA for the Fall 2006 semester. Harper is a graduate of Byrnes High School in Duncan, SC

Men’s team runners named Academic All-American are Scott Bernshausen, a graduate of Thornwell High School and from Kinards, SC; Travis Eiler, a graduate of Socastee High School and from Myrtle Beach, SC; and Jeremy Vangsnes, a graduate of Broome High School and from Cowpens, SC.

All four are currently Freshmen at SMC. They are also the only cross-country runners in the NJCAA’s Region X to be named Academic All-Americans for the 2006 cross country season.

In addition, the men’s team has been ranked 11th nationally among all NJCAA schools in team GPA  for the season and the women’s team has been ranked 15th in team GPA..

For more information, contact Mike Foley at (864) 298-4744.

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