March 2, 2010 – New Orleans, La. - Under the guidance of second-year head coach Keith Roberts Jr., two members of the Heidelberg University men's cross country team have earned a spot on the USTFCCCA All-Academic team. Sophomore Jordan Karnes (Edgerton, Ohio / Edgerton) and senior Jake Lemon (Oak Harbor, Ohio / Oak Harbor) have been selected.
The USTFCCCA All-Academic award honors those student-athletes who have succeeded both academically and athletically. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must carry a minimum 3.3 cumulative grade point average and must finish in the top 35 among the field at their respective NCAA regional meet.
The 129 USTFCCCA All-Academic honorees represent 70 schools around the country. With accounting as his major, Karnes was part of the elite group of four runners who had a 4.0 GPA or better. Lemon is majoring in history.
Aside from the individual honors, the entire team was recognized as an All-Academic Team. Overall the team carried a 3.59 grade point average, which ranks second among the team honorees. For a team to be considered for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award, they must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional Meet. The team must also have a minimum 3.10 team cumulative grade point average.
Karnes and Lemon were important members of Heidelberg's men’s cross country team that was nationally ranked throughout the 2009 season, including a 12th place ranking in the preseason national poll.
A week after a first-place finish at Pre-Regional, Heidelberg ran away with the 2009 OAC Championship. Paced by seven All-OAC honorees, Heidelberg won the program's fourth title. Its victory joined its titles from 1998, 1999 and 2000.
The Berg also earned an automatic bid to nationals after finishing strong at NCAA Great Lakes Regional with a second-place finish. The trip to the NCAA Championship was the program’s seventh appearance overall, fourth-straight (1997, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), where it placed 18th overall.