AUGUSTA, GA -- The Peach Belt Conference has released the 2021 women's cross country Team of Academic Distinction, presented by Barnes & Noble College.  The team is a part of the PBC's larger initiative to celebrate the academic achievements of PBC student-athletes and is modeled on the CoSIDA Academic All-America program.

To be eligible for the team, a student-athlete must 1) participate in at least half of his/her team's events and be either a starter or significant contributor; 2) achieved a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) and 3) completed at least one full academic year at his or her current institution and has reached sophomore athletic eligibility. The Peach Belt Conference Sports Information Directors oversee the program.

Barnes & Noble College currently operates more than 1,400 campus bookstores and their school-branded e-commerce sites, serving more than 6 million college students and faculty nationwide. As a strategic partner, Barnes & Noble College is a retail and learning company. The company is headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.

2021 Women's Cross Country Team of Academic Distinction
 

Name	School	Year	Hometown	GPA	Major
Anna Agi	Georgia College	Jr.	Brooks, Ga.	3.53	Biology
Hannah Beach	Augusta	Grad	Orangeburg, S.C.	4.00	Master in Kinesiology
Sydney Brown	Georgia College	Grad	Canton, Ga.	4.00	Master in Biology
Elizabeth Burton	North Georgia	Sr.	Johns Creek, Ga.	3.63	Elementary & Special Education
Megan Churchill	Flagler	Fr.	Tallahassee, Fla.	3.82	English
Elizabeth Colon-Laborde	USC Aiken	So.	Aiken, S.C.	3.837	Biology
Mia Crankfield	Lander	Jr.	Sumter, S.C.	3.84	Public Administration
Paige D'Agostin	USC Aiken	Jr.	Morrisville, N.C.	3.905	Communication
Michaela Davis	Georgia College	Grad	Johns Creek, Ga.	3.90	Master in Middle Grades Education
Korey Dickerson	North Georgia	So.	Watkinsville, Ga.	3.93	General Studies BSN
Stephanie Escobar	Clayton State	Jr.	Forest Park, Ga.	3.65	Nursing
Catarina Marcko Ferreira	Young Harris	So.	Cascais, Portugal	3.30	Art
Haley Gilbert	Augusta	Fr.	Dallas, Ga.	3.69	Kinesiology
Audrey Gleason	North Georgia	Jr.	Alpharetta, Ga.	3.92	English/Writing & Publication
Jenny Goodwin	Georgia College	So.	Fayetteville, Ga.	3.38	Management Information Systems
Gabbi Hart	Lander	Jr.	Lexington, S.C.	3.32	Business
Devin Helms	North Georgia	Jr.	Columbus, Ga.	3.47	General Studies BSN
Sophie King	USC Aiken	Sr.	Aiken, S.C.	4.00	Nursing
Sasha Knowles	Clayton State	So.	Nassau, Bahamas	3.95	Biology
Cassie Lagan	Augusta	Fr.	Omagh, Ireland	3.86	Pre-Middle Grades Education
Karmen LeRoy	North Georgia	Jr.	Dublin, Ga.	3.66	BSN Nursing
Kiera Lewis	Young Harris	Fr.	Brasstown, N.C.	3.90	Biology
Taylor Mackenzie	Augusta	Jr.	Leesburg, Ga.	3.67	Psychology
Jessie Mescal	Flagler	Jr.	Lowell, Ind.	3.94	Strategic Communication/Public Relations
Claire Mills	North Georgia	So.	Lilburn, Ga.	3.92	Communications
Missy O'Toole	Lander	Jr.	Irmo, S.C.	4.00	Parks, Recreation & Fitness Studies
Madison Peele	Flagler	So.	Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.	3.76	Criminology
Austin Perez	North Georgia	So.	Cochran, Ga.	3.46	BSN Nursing
Ashley Pope	North Georgia	So.	Canton, Ga.	3.70	Marketing
Emery Ryan	North Georgia	So.	Milledgeville, Ga.	3.45	General Studies/Exercise Science
Brianna Sattinger	Columbus State	Sr.	Fayetteville, Ga.	3.89	Biology
Megan Strickland	Georgia Southwestern	So.	Roswell, Ga.	3.65	Nursing
Kendra Zavala	USC Aiken	Sr.	Laureldale, Pa.	3.837	Nursing
Brianna Zupko	Georgia Southwestern	So.	Sylvester, Ga.	3.36	Elementary Education

NOTE - The freshmen listed above are 'second-year' freshmen who competed with their team in the 2020-21 season and were granted an extra year of eligibility from the NCAA.  Any true freshmen who began their collegiate eligibility in the fall of 2021 were not eligible to be included.