KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its academic awards for the 2024 men’s and women’s cross country seasons. Two-hundred and nine cross country student-athletes from 13 MIAA institutions were honored by the Association for their work in the classroom. 
 
One-hundred and fourteen men and 95 women received academic honors from the association for the 2024 cross country seasons. Two hundred and nine student-athletes were named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll, 15 received the MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award and 32 earned the MIAA Academic Excellence Award.
 
View the 95 women’s cross country runners who received academic honors in the 2024 season here. View the 114 men’s cross country runners who received academic honors in the 2024 season here.

The league’s prestigious Academic Excellence Award was awarded to 32 cross country runners in the 2024 season (17 women, 15 men). An Academic Excellence Award recipient must have a grade point average used by the institution for NCAA academic certification of at least 4.00 at the certifying member institution. The honoree also must have at least two terms of grades reported at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms.

The Scholar-Athlete Award distinction went to just 15 runners who excelled on the field and on the course (seven women, eight men). In the classroom, an MIAA Scholar-Athlete is an individual who has a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.50 or better at the certifying member institution. They must also have at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms. In competition, the student-athlete must receive All-MIAA honors to achieve Scholar-Athlete status.

One-hundred and nine MIAA cross country runners were named to the league's Academic Honor Roll. To be recognized on the league’s Academic Honor Roll, student-athletes must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.00 or above at the certifying member institution. They also need at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms.
 
Only one cross country student-athlete was honored with all three of the league’s academic awards – Nebraska Kearney’s Ella Buhlke. A junior on the Loper women’s cross country team, Buhlke is a biology major with a 4.0 grade point average. She also earned All-MIAA honors with a top 20 finish at the 2024 MIAA Cross Country Championship on October 26.
 
These academic awards do not include first-year freshmen or first-year transfers. The MIAA will release its Newcomer Academic Awards from the 2023-24 academic year in late June.