NEW ORLEANS, La. (February 15, 2012) – The Rutgers men’s cross country team received All-Academic honors by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). It marks the fifth-straight season that the Scarlet Knights were awarded for success in the classroom by the USTFCCCA.

A total of 147 institutions represent 30 conferences that compose the group. The Big East Conference had the most squads make the list with 11. To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team, the 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.

The men’s team compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25. The 2011 men’s cross country roster was comprised of Ben Forrest (Jackson, N.J.), Chris DeFabio (Millington, N.J.), Ben Horel (Belford, N.J.), Brian Wells (Piscataway, N.J.), Thomas Bragen (Point Pleasant, N.J.), Chris Banafato (Bridgewater, N.J.), Steve Burkholder (Marlton, N.J.), Curtis Richburg (West Orange, N.J.), Casey Weiss (Newfoundland, N.J.) and Anthony Horten (Moorestown, N.J.).

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