NEW ORLEANS -- Following a tremendous performance this fall, Ryan Hartman was named the USTFCCCA DII Men's Scholar Athlete of the Year. In total, the Augustana cross country squad saw nine student-athletes named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic team and individual honors announced earlier this week. Both programs were also named as USTFCCCA All-Academic teams. 

In order to qualify for All-Academic distinction, student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale and finish in the top-30 percent of their respective regional championship meet, among other qualifiers.

Hartman, who hails from Wausau, Wisconsin, and owns a cumulative GPA of 4.0, finished second at the 2024 NCAA DII Cross Country Championships in Sacramento, California. This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Augustana has been named NCAA DII Cross Country National Scholar Athlete of the Year.

The men's team garnered four all-academic selections with Hartman (Master of Sports and Leadership) joined by Kadin Groen (Finance), Erik Gundersen (Master of Sports and Leadership) and Daniel Street (Pre Med).

The men's team compiled a team GPA of 3.6, ranking 11th in all of Division II.

The women's team collected five all-academic athletes in Ella Bakken (Biology), Taylor Melton (Education), Tenley Nelson (Education), Caroline Sudbeck (Education) and Lindsey Young (Biology). 

As a team, the women compiled a 3.72 GPA, which stands 24th in the nation.

The Augustana cross country team recently finished another very impressive season. The women's team placed 10th at the national meet and a pair of runners became All-Americans, including Hartman.