NCAA DIII Women’s Champ Del Piccolo Claims Scholar-Athlete of the Year Honor

NEW ORLEANS – Chiara Del Piccolo of Williams College was named the USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Women’s Scholar Athlete of the Year for the 2011 cross country season on Friday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Del Piccolo was also the NCAA Division III cross country champion for the 2011 fall season.

Scholar Athletes are determined from among those who earned All-Academic status and placed highest individually at the most recent NCAA Championships.

USTFCCCA NCAA Division III
Cross Country Women’s Scholar Athlete of the Year – Chiara Del Piccolo, Williams

Del Piccolo, a sophomore from Basalt, Colo., has accumulated a cumulative GPA of 3.56 through the fall semester.

Del Piccolo took the national crown in the fall with a clocking of 20:52.1, five seconds ahead of nearest challenger Christy Cazzola of UW-Oshkosh. Del Piccolo was part of the led pack throughout the national-championship race, but only overtook the lead in the final 1,000 meters.

The last athlete from Williams to win a national women’s cross country title was Jessica Caley in 1995.

Part of a four-meet winning streak, Piccolo also took the win at the NCAA New England Regional and NESCAC Championships this fall.
 
Past Winners

2011: Chiara Del Piccolo, Williams
2010: Jennifer Gossels, Williams
2009: Marie Borner, Bethel (Minn.)
2008: Elise Tropiano, Amherst
2007: Sarah Zerzan, Willamette
2006: Sarah Zerzan, Willamette

183 Earn All-Academic Status

In addition to the Scholar Athlete of the Year, the USTFCCCA also announced those women who earned 2011 Division III All-Academic Cross Country status.

A total of 183 student-athletes represent the 96 institutions that compose the group. Washington (Mo.) was the only team in the nation to qualify seven for the award. Williams and Middlebury was next in the order with six honorees. The NESCAC claimed 18 of the awards as the leader among conferences, followed by the UAA (16), SCIAC (14) and the MIAC (14).

Nine of the top ten finishers from the NCAA Cross Country Championships earned the All-Academic honor.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or greater through the most-recent semester and placed in the top 35 at the NCAA Regional Championships.

USTFCCCA 2011 Division III Cross Country All-Academic Honorees, WOMEN