W&L Men's and Women's T&F Teams Earn All-Academic Status

NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) recently announced its 2009 Division III All-Academic Track & Field Teams and the Washington and Lee men's and women's teams were honored.

The Generals' men's track & field team ranked 13th among the 51 teams selected, sporting a cumulative team grade point average of 3.359. W&L was led by rising senior Billy Billington (Memphis, Tenn./Montgomery Bell), who captured the shot put and took second in the weight throw at the ODAC Indoor meet. Billington, who was named the ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete of the Year for both the indoor and outdoor seasons, also captured the hammer throw and shot put, while adding a second-place finish in the discus at the ODAC Outdoor meet.

The W&L women's track & field team, ranked 52nd out of 100 teams, posted an overall GPA of 3.337 and was led by recent graduate Elizabeth Webb (Middleburg, Va./Wakefield). Webb was named the Athlete of the Meet at both the indoor and outdoor meets, while also taking home the ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards for both seasons. Webb, who was also named to the USTFCCCA Division III All-Academic Team as an individual, is the recepient of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, as well as a Fulbright Scholarship.

The selection of the All-Academic Indoor and Outdoor Scholar Teams is based on a combination of academic and athletic achievements, with the top honor going to the team that had the combination of best overall finish at the respective Division III Indoor or Outdoor National Championships and cumulative GPA. To be nominated, a team must carry a minimum 3.100 overall grade-point average.