Cowgirl Track & Field/Cross Country Team Earns Academic Honor

Wyoming thrower Kate Burton named to the All-Academic team individually.

Wyoming thrower Kate Burton had a successful junior year both academically and athletically.
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July 19, 2006

LARAMIE, Wyo. -

The University of Wyoming Cowgirl track and field/cross country team has been honored for their academic success during the past school year. The Cowgirls were recently named to the 2006 Division I U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team. To go along with the team honor, junior thrower Kate Burton was named to the team individually.

The USTFCCCA honors individuals and teams for their academic and athletic accomplishments during the cross country and indoor/outdoor track seasons. Seventy-five Division I women's teams were rewarded for cumulative grade-point averages of 3.0 or higher. The Cowgirls finished the 2005-06 academic year with an average cumulative team GPA of 3.152.

"This is a tremendous award for our team," said head track and field coach Don Yentes. "Our women work really hard in the classroom and you can tell they are at the University of Wyoming for the right reasons."

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track & Field Team, an individual athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher and must have met the NCAA Division I regional or national qualifying standard in her event. Burton posted a cumulative GPA of 3.773 and earned a spot to the NCAA National Championships in June in the hammer throw.

Burton had a great junior year in her first season as a Cowgirl. She earned All-Mountain West Conference honors in the weight throw during the indoor season when she finished in second place at the MWC Championships. During the outdoor season, she marked a season best throw of 197' 11" in the hammer throw that earned her a spot at NCAA Regionals. This throw also put her second all-time in UW history in the event. At regionals, her fouth place finish in the hammer throw earned her a trip to the NCAA Championships.

"For Kate to receive this award while majoring in mechanical engineering is phenomenal," added Yentes. "She is a big-time thrower and a tremendous student who always has her books when we are on the road."