For an precedented 13th consecutive year, both Hope College cross country teams have been honored for academic excellence.

The College Cross Country Coaches Association recently announced its Team Academic All-Americans for the fall 2002 season. As they have for every year since 1990, coach Mark Northuis' men's and women's teams are each on the honor roll. Northuis has coached the Hope cross country program since 1988.

To qualify for the award, a team needed a minimum cumulative team grade point average of 3.10 on a 4.0 scale and also have competed at an NCAA III regional meet.

The men's team ranked 31st among NCAA Division III colleges with a cumulative 3.27 grade point average. The leading men's team was Elizabethtown, Ky. with a 3.54 GPA.

The women's team ranked 36th among NCAA Division III squad with a cumulative 3.44 GPA. The leading women's team is the State University of New York at New Paltz with a 3.83 GPA.