Western State College of Colorado

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Loren Ahonen and Sean Brown led nine Western State runners on the RMAC All-Academic Cross Country teams released today. Ahonen and Brown each earned a spot on the first team to lead six Mountaineers on the men’s team while Grace Eggleston’s second-team selection led three Mountaineer women.

Ahonen, who carries a 3.84 grade point average in environmental science and political science, and Brown, an exercise and sport science student with a 3.91 GPA, are repeat selections on the RMAC first team. Tyler Pennel earned a spot on the second team with a 3.48 GPA in sociology. All three were repeat All-Americans at the NCAA National Championships last month.

Eggleston was the only redshirt-freshman named on either the first or second team on the women’s side with a 3.70 GPA in psychology. She was one of three Mountaineer freshmen to score at the national championships.

Cordell Baker, an alternate on the national championship squad, along with Jamison Ricks and Zach Minard were members of the Honor Roll. Redshirt freshmen Emily Kirchhofer and Rachel Webb made up the Western State members on the Honor Roll for the women’s teams.

To qualify, student-athletes needed a 3.30 GPA or better, be a starter or reserve, and have completed two consecutive semesters at their current institution. The GPA was determined on their GPA before the fall 2009 semester. The first and second team selections were determined by a vote from the RMAC sports information directors at schools that sponsor cross country.